Hidden Agenda
by Raven O'Connor
Summary: COMPLETED A simple case for the Hardys on a private island doesn't appear what it seems to be. It's a race against time when they found out one of them is dying.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: 

This is a not-for-profit work of fiction. The Hardy Boys and other regular characters are copyrights or trademarks of Simon & Schuster, and other legal holders. The other characters created in this story are my own copyrights. 

BY RAVEN 

**PROLOGUE **

_Ten years ago… _

**DRUG LORD BIANCO CAPTURED**

New York City, July 25 – Kurt Bianco, the notorious drug trafficking leader, was finally arrested last night during a night raid by the New York City Police, and Drug Enforcement Agency. 

A statement from Special Agent Demler of the DEA said the raid was the latest follow-up from a six-month investigation by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. "This wouldn't be happening if it weren't for Mr. Fenton Hardy and his partner, Sam Peterson's biggest breakthrough," he said last night. He said they have broken up a drug ring that controlled seven of the city's most notorious underground drug markets and profited nearly $800,000 a month selling heroin and cocaine. The ring sold up to 20 kilograms of heroin and 10 kilograms of cocaine each month. The underground markets operated in East Graverock and East Flatland. 

More than 50 agents and officers, some with search dogs, were at the raid. The operation, turned into a shootout around 1 a.m., an officer at the scene said. Gunfire was exchanged inside, and outside the building, the police said. A plainclothes police officer was shot in the leg last night in which the officer traded gunfire with suspects, the authorities said. The officer, whose name was not released, was in stable condition at a general hospital, Detective Sam Peterson said. 

Two suspects were shot last night. One was shot in the right shoulder and was arrested at the C train subway station at Gruen Avenue. The second suspect was shot in the leg and arrested at the scene of the drug operation. 

Fifteen other suspects were also arrested last night on charges relating to the making and distributing of drugs. However, Nicholas Stein, Mr. Bianco's top aide has escaped the arrest. He is charged for drug trafficking and murder. The authorities are still searching for him. 

Kurt Bianco, 45, is in the custody in New York, awaiting trial on the charges that he participated in conspiracy of murder, and drug trafficking. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. 

"With all the evidence we have against Bianco, he will definitely be sentenced at least 10 years in prison. That's a good ending for me," Detective Lieutenant Fenton Hardy said today. Mr. Hardy will be retiring from NYPD by next week to pursue career as a private detective.


	2. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1**

_Present day…_

The blazing orange sun shone on the Atlantic, turning the sky a deep shade of purple, as the sun sank further into the water. Across the horizon and silhouette against the sun, seventeen-year-old Joe Hardy could see a tiny speck of a small piece of island, which he knew as Cabin Island. And if he'd go farther into the horizon, he'd reach Barmet Bay and the mainland, where the town Bayport lies. He had been living there since he was a kid, right after his father, Fenton Hardy, had resigned his work from the New York Police Department. 

"Come on, Joe, you'll have time for sightseeing later," a familiar deep masculine voice said from behind, interrupting Joe's thought. 

Joe turned to look at his a-year-older brother. "I hope so, Frank," he agreed, "but we're here on this island not for vacationing, so I might as well grab some opportunities to look around." 

Even though they were brothers, their appearances contrasted each other. Frank, standing at six one, had dark hair and eyes, while his brother, an inch shorter, impulsive, and more muscular, was blond and blue-eyed. But both of them had one interest in common – solving crimes and mysteries. And that was why they were now standing here on Verin Island. 

Verin Island was a small island, which was owned by Shane Unterhauser, a young wealthy businessman from Chicago. Joe couldn't understand why someone as rich as Shane would want an island this small, with almost nothing on it except for old abandoned houses. The island was flat. Almost half of the area on the island was covered with thick woods. Shane was planning to turn the island into a resort island. He had started his project about six months ago. At the moment, the place was still undergoing a large development. According to him, only the main building was ready, which included his office and the employees' quarters. 

Shane had originally asked Fenton Hardy for help, but since Mr. Hardy had to make an emergency trip to New York City to meet his old friend Chief Sam Peterson of NYPD, Mr. Hardy had given the case to his sons instead. 

"I know what you mean, but I just wished we could join dad," Frank replied to Joe, looking worried and grim. He still remembered the scene well when his father decided to leave for New York City. 

A week ago, Shane Unterhauser, a handsome man in his late twenties, with blond hair and a pair of deep-set green eyes, was sitting in Mr. Hardy's study. Mr. Hardy was on the phone when Frank and Joe entered the office. They could guess their father might want their help on the case, but they didn't anticipate the concerned look on their father's face while he was talking on the phone. 

"Are you feeling all right?" Mr. Hardy was saying to the speaker on the phone. 

Frank and Joe exchanged puzzled looks. Frank managed to study their father's latest client. The first thing that caught his eyes was a large gold ring on the man's right hand. There was a small white globe attached on it, which Frank couldn't identify without giving it a closer look. The man was wearing an expensive gray executive suit. His shoes were black and shiny. Even when he was sitting on the chair, Frank could easily see he was a huge man. The man had an air of authority in him. 

"Can one of you please call your mother?" Mr. Hardy suddenly said, interrupting Frank's observation. His father was holding the receiver as he looked at his sons. There was a grim look on his handsome face. 

"I'll do it," Joe offered and quickly headed out of the room. 

"It's no trouble for me, Sam," Mr. Hardy continued saying on the phone. "I want to help, and I'll be there as soon as I can," he promised as he hung up the phone. At the same time, Mrs. Laura Hardy, and Joe entered the office. 

"What's wrong, Fenton?" Laura Hardy asked when she caught her husband's distraught look. 

"That was Sam Peterson on the phone," Mr. Hardy said, massaging the bridge of his nose wearily. Then he turned to Shane, as if suddenly noticed the man for the first time. "Would you please wait here, Mr. Unterhauser? I need to talk to my family first," he said with an apologetic look. "It's an urgent matter," he added. 

"Of course," Shane replied patiently and nodded. Frank was surprised. His first impression of the man was that he would be irritated by this sudden interruption. Never judge a person by first impression, he scolded himself silently. But he was definitely curious about the sudden family meeting his father had convened. 

Mr. Hardy led his family to the living room, leaving Shane Unterhauser in the study. As soon as they reached the living room, a series of questions rained down on Mr. Hardy. 

"What's wrong, Fenton?" Laura started asking, looking worried. 

"Dad, what did Chief Peterson want?" 

"What's going on, Dad?" 

"I'll tell you if you just listen first," Mr. Hardy said, a little sternly. When the others had quieted down, he took a deep breath. His expression suddenly turned somber. All of them looked at him with slight apprehension and curiosity. "It's sad news. It's about Sidney," he began. 

"What about him?" Laura asked, slightly worried. Sidney Peterson, Sam's son, had started working as a police officer in one of the precincts in Brooklyn. The young man also had been a constant friend to Frank and Joe. Sam Peterson and his son occasionally visited them ever since Mr. Hardy quit the force. 

"Well, he passed away yesterday," Mr. Hardy announced grimly. 

There was shocked silence. Then, as if turned on like a switch, all of them started talking at once. 

"Oh, poor dear!" Laura gasped. "What will happen to Sam? He was so proud of Sidney." 

"I can't believe it! This couldn't be true, dad," Joe protested in disbelief, and anger. The news hit him like a hammer on his head as if telling him this wasn't a dream, but reality - the cruelest dream of all. It was almost like the one he had experienced after Iola's death. 

"How did he die? Did he die while he was on duty?" Frank asked his father, curiously. Like Joe, he still had a hard time believing the news. 

"No, Frank, he died from a heart failure," Mr. Hardy answered slowly. 

"Heart failure? But he was so strong, and healthy," Laura remarked in surprise. 

"He died in his sleep last night. There were no traces of foul play, if that's what you're thinking," Mr. Hardy told them when he caught Frank's suspicious look. "But Sam told me, his son was starting to have a fever-like symptom a day before he died. It's possible he might caught some sort of a disease." 

"But how?" Joe asked. 

"We still don't know much, but Sam has sent the blood sample to be tested," Mr. Hardy told them. 

"And?" Frank prompted curiously. 

"It's too early to tell, but there was a minute peculiarity in the blood cells," he explained. 

"A virus?" Frank guessed with a frown. 

"We still don't know, yet," he told them. "But I'm going to New York to arrange his son's funeral." 

"Just you?" Laura asked in surprise. "I can help him with the arrangement, too," she pointed out. 

"No," Mr. Hardy said sternly. "Not at the moment," he softened his voice a little. 

"Why wouldn't you let us go with you? After all, we're a close family friend of his," Joe protested. 

"Sam needs to talk to me alone, for now," Mr. Hardy explained. "When he's ready, I'll call you and we can arrange a trip to New York," he said firmly. From the sound of his voice, they could tell his decision was final. 

"What about the guy in your office?" Joe asked, jerking his thumb toward the study. 

"I'm going to let you two handle the case for me while I'm gone. It's a pretty simple case. It should be no problem for you two," Mr. Hardy told his sons. 

"Well, I still don't like it," Laura told her husband. "But please be careful when you're there," she reminded him, squeezing his hand. 

"I know, honey," Mr. Hardy said with a smile and gave her a peck on her cheek. Then he turned to his sons. "All right, you two, let's go back to my office and I'll introduce you to my client." 

Now, Mr. Hardy had gone for a week, and the boys were starting to get worried when they still hadn't heard any news from him. 

"Let's go and see Shane Unterhauser, now," Joe said, changing the subject. "He must be bored to death waiting for us." He picked up his gym bag that was filled with his clothes. 

They had just arrived on the island a quarter of an hour ago. The only way to get to this island was to rent a motorboat from the nearby island, which they found out, was Inzell Island. The ride took only fifteen minutes from Inzell Island to Verin Island. The dock on Verin Island was small, which was enough to accommodate if the tourists came to this island during peak season. The pier extended into the bay for seventy feet or more. At the moment, there were only less than five boats lined alongside the dock. Frank guessed they belonged to Shane's employees. He had told the brothers only his employees were staying on his island at the moment. 

The late afternoon air was heavy with the scent of salt and seaweed. They could hear the waves lapping at the shore on either sides of the dock as they walked along a wooden walkway that led to Shane's building. 

The redbrick building was only three stories high. At the main entrance was a sign in deep green bold letters that said 'Unterhauser Resort, Verin Island'. 

Shane appeared at the entrance with a smile on his face. Today, he was wearing a pair of jeans, and a green polo shirt. Bulging muscles along his arms could be seen below the short sleeves. 

"I'm glad you made it," he said to them, shaking hands with the brothers. "Sorry it took a long time to get the place for your stay to be ready," he apologized. "It would be a bit inconvenient for you to travel back and forth if you stay in a hotel in Inzell. Anyway, the main kitchen and restaurant, at the moment, aren't ready. You have to go to Inzell for food, or cook if you have time. Every employee's quarter has their own kitchen." 

"I understand," Frank replied. "This is quite a nice place you have here," he remarked with an admiring glance to his surroundings. 

"Thanks, I would say so myself. It would be even better when the resort is completed," Shane told them. "Our work would have been finished earlier if not for all the things that has been happening lately." 

Shane had explained about the situation with his resort project. He had a suspicion that someone was trying to sabotage his work. A first, the incidents appeared accidental such as blackouts, lift was not working, and a fire in the kitchen. He had checked the accidents and found out the fuses were still new, and the lift also had used new cables. That had made him slightly suspicious since these accidents happened in the same day. And someone had accidentally dropped a match into fuel oil that caused the fire in the kitchen. No one had claimed responsible for this act, either. All these so-called accidents started about a couple of months ago. 

A slim man, about thirty, with brown hair and blue eyes appeared beside Shane. The man stood a couple of inches shorter than Joe and Shane. 

"This is Jim Owen. He'll be working here as the bellboy when this place is officially opened. But at the moment, he's a handyman," Shane introduced the man to the brothers. 

"Hi, I'm Frank MacAllister," he said to the man, remembering to use his cover name. The brothers had decided to use their mother's maiden name before they arrived here. "This is my brother, Joe," Frank pointed to his brother. 

"Nice to meet you," the man said. "You can call me, Jim," he added. Although he appeared friendly, Frank couldn't help noticing the uneasiness in his eyes. 

"They are close friends of my family. I've decided to show them around my resort. They will spend their time here at the beach," Shane explained to Jim, using the cover story they had agreed on. 

"But they'll get bored easily," Jim commented. "There's not much to see here, unless if you go to Inzell. This place is like a dead town." 

"Don't worry, we'll think of something to do here," Joe put in. 

"You can bring their bags to their room, Jim," Shane told his employee. "I'm going to show them around the building." 

Without saying anything, Jim took the boys' bags and headed toward a hallway on the left. But Frank was quick to notice a glare that Jim had given Shane before he walked away. Looks like Jim would be suspect number one on my list, Frank thought curiously. It might be nothing, but he wouldn't leave anything out at the moment. 

"Come on, let's go to my office first," Shane said to them. 

They walked inside and passed the small lobby. The wall was wood-paneled, and there was an empty reception counter on one side of the room. Shane walked past the counter and opened a door beside it that said: Personnel Only. Another hallway appeared before them. But the owner continued walking. "My office is just at the end of this hall," he told them before turning around the corner of the hallway. 

They were surprised to see a young woman in black skirt and white shirt standing in front of a door at the end of the hallway. She appeared to be in an act of eavesdropping Shane's office! 


	3. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

"Jane, what are you doing?" Shane bellowed, with his fists on his waist. 

The young woman gave a startle gasp and jumped. She looked like a person who had been caught with her hand in a cookie jar. "M-Mr. Unterhauser!" she stammered. She forced a smile, as if trying to assure him she had done nothing wrong. 

The woman appeared to be in her mid-twenties, with shoulder-length brown hair, and a pair of brown eyes. There was a small mole on her upper left corner of her mouth, which Joe thought looked cute on her. 

"It's not what you think, Mr. Unterhauser," the woman tried again, in a calmer voice. 

"And what do you think I should think?" Shane challenged. He looked at the woman with slight suspicion. 

"I was checking to see if you were in your office. I tried knocking, but there was no answer," she explained hastily. 

Shane regarded her explanation with a silent stare before he spoke, "So, what is it you want to see me about?" 

"Ms. Matteo called, and she demanded that you called her immediately," she told him. Joe could see that she looked relieved when Shane didn't ask her any more questions. 

Shane muttered something unintelligible under his breath, but he didn't comment anything further. Instead, he turned to the Hardys with a smile, which seemed a little forced. 

"Boys, I'd like you to meet Jane Rosso. She's working here as my secretary," he introduced the woman to the brothers. "Jane, this is Frank and Joe MacAllister." He gave the same explanation why the boys were staying here as he had given to Jim. 

"N-Nice to meet you," Jane said, shaking hands with the Hardys. Then she began fidgeting nervously on the cuffs of her shirt. Joe was puzzled by her agitated manner. She seemed a bit afraid of them. She couldn't have known about their real identity, could she? 

"Me, too," Frank replied, smiling – hoping it would ease the tension. 

She returned with a quick smile. "Is there anything else you want me to do, Mr. Unterhauser?" Jane asked, turning to her boss. 

"No, you can go back to your desk," Shane replied. 

Jane nodded, and quickly left without looking at them. 

"How long has she been working for you?" Frank asked Shane when the woman was out of earshot. 

"I hired her at the same time I started this project. So, she's still brand new," Shane replied. 

"What about Jim?" Joe asked. 

"Same," Shane replied shortly. "I can show you their files, if it'll help you in this case." 

"Thanks, we appreciate that," Frank said and nodded. "But how come you didn't hire from your other employees in Chicago, or someone who has been working for you quite a while?" he continued asking. 

They continued walking toward Shane's office. He pulled out his keys and unlocked the door. 

"We haven't got anyone in this field. This is my first time venturing in this business," Shane admitted. 

"Who's taking over the office in Chicago, now that you're here?" Frank continued asking. 

"My assistant, Norman Spencer," Shane replied simply, as he led them inside the room. 

His office was quite large. There was a slight scent of paint when they stepped inside. Like the building, everything inside the room was new. The floor was covered with beige carpeting and the walls were painted in white. There was a large white semi-circle table in the middle of the room with a laptop and a telephone on it, an empty bookcase on one side of the room and a beige metal filing cabinet. There was a door at the corner of the room. The door was ajar, but Frank could see it led to the bathroom. 

Shane motioned the Hardys to sit on the chairs in front of his desk, before he walked around and sat on his black leather chair, facing them. 

"So, do you have any questions so far?" Shane asked them. 

"Yeah, how many employees do you have here at the moment?" Frank asked. 

"Three at the moment, and the rest you probably have seen working at the construction site are just contracted builders," he answered. "I'm planning to hire more as soon as the guests' houses are ready." 

"Are there anymore incidents before we arrived here?" Joe asked. 

Shane frowned thoughtfully. "There was one incident, but I can't say it's intentional," he began slowly. 

"Go on," Frank encouraged. 

"It didn't happen to me," Shane admitted. "Jane almost had an accident when one of the pipes of the scaffolding almost knocked on her head," he told them. "It's a good thing Neil was there to save her." 

"Neil?" Joe prompted in surprise. 

"Neil Sterling, the third employee. I've hired him to work in the security part of this place," Shane explained. 

"What was Jane doing at the construction area?" Frank continued asking. 

"She told me she was just taking a walk," Shane shrugged. "Neil has checked for any tampering, but he couldn't find any. So, I guess it was just a pure bad luck on Jane." 

"Do you have any suspects now? The last time you told us, you didn't have any," Joe asked. 

Shane shook his head, and sighed wearily. "No, I still don't have. I can't think of any," he admitted. 

"Do you think if we could take a look at your employees' files?" Frank asked. 

"You think one of them did it?" His question sounded more like a statement. 

"Just covering all the bases," Joe replied as Shane just nodded and walked over to the filing cabinet. He pulled out some manila folders. 

"I only have my employees' files, not on those contracted builders, though. I think it's better if I make a copy of these for you," Shane suggested before walking toward the door. "I'll be right back," he said before he went out. 

When he was gone, Joe turned to Frank. "So, what do you think?" he asked his brother. 

"I've already included Jim in the suspect list," Frank admitted. 

"Yeah, that guy seemed to have something against Shane," Joe agreed. "What about Jane? I can't figure her out." 

"I know what you mean. I'm not sure if she's nervous around us or Shane," Frank agreed with a thoughtful frown. 

"Or both," Joe added. 

"Maybe she just has a nervous nature. If not, we'll find out what makes her acting that way." 

Joe was about to speak up when Shane entered the room. He handed them the photocopied papers before he kept the folders back into the drawers. 

"Thanks," Frank said as he took the papers and put them in his jacket. 

At the moment, they heard a sudden commotion outside of the room. 

"What in the - " Shane didn't manage to finish when the door of his office burst open. 

A woman in her late twenties with long blond hair and pale blue eyes stormed inside. Her eyes flashed angrily when her gaze landed on Shane. Jane was following behind the woman, looking flustered and embarrassed. 

"Jane, what is going on?" Shane asked his secretary. His jaw clenched. Frank could tell he was controlling his anger. 

"I'm really sorry, Mr. Unterhauser, I tried to stop her, but Ms. Matteo insists to talk to you. She didn't want to make any appointment," Jane explained in a rush. Her hands began fidgeting the cuffs of her shirt. 

"Don't worry, I'll handle this," Shane said. "You can go back to your work," he told Jane. 

"All right," Jane said, before reluctantly walked out of the room. 

"You think you can get away, don't you? Guess again, Shane Unterhauser," the woman continued in anger. She didn't seem to notice the Hardys, but if she had, she deliberately ignored their presence. 

"What are you talking about, Ms. Matteo?" Shane asked levelly. 

She gave a sardonic laugh. "Pretend all you want, Mr. Unterhauser," her voice turned cold. "I'm talking about how you steal this island from my father." 


	4. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

"Ms. Matteo, I've bought this island legally through an estate agent. Your father died before he could get his hands on it," Shane replied. His voice was calm and measured. 

"But my father already had made an agreement with the estate agent. He even said, if something happened to him, I have legal rights to claim this island," Ms. Matteo challenged, crossing her arms across her chest. 

"Within a duration of two weeks," Shane added simply. "As far as I recall, you didn't use those two weeks to sign the agreement to claim it." 

"I've already told you before, I've already signed it and sent it to Mr. Fisher," Ms. Matteo countered. She still didn't appear to notice the Hardys, who looked as if they had been caught in the middle of a war. 

"But he didn't receive it. Without that agreement that you have signed, you cannot claim the island," Shane pointed out. "Anyway, Ms. Matteo, I'd like you to meet Frank and Joe MacAllister," he said changing the subject. 

"I intend to find out what happened to it, Mr. Unterhauser," Ms. Matteo retorted, ignoring the introduction. "I think you stole the paper so that I couldn't claim it. Don't you think it's a too much of a coincidence that you suddenly appeared after my father died?" she raised her eyebrows with a smug look. 

Shane didn't appear uncomfortable or nervous by Matteo's statement. "I admit of the coincidence," he began slowly. His face was an expressionless mask. "But I didn't steal the paper, and you don't have any proof that I stole it. For all I know, your letter must have been lost in the mail." 

"Maybe, but I have Mr. Moore, my family lawyer, who has witnessed the signing, and he also has a copy of the paper," Ms. Matteo announced. "What do you have to say about that?" 

There was still no change of emotion on Shane's face. "You took six months to figure this out? If he has the paper, where is he now?" he asked levelly. 

Ms. Matteo reddened in anger. "He's migrated to Italy a few weeks after my father's death. I've already tried to contact him many times, but no such luck. But when I do, I will definitely ask him to send me the copy," she answered with determination. 

"And when you do, I suggest we test the paper for its authenticity. You'll never know if you are planning to con me," Shane continued without looking upset. In fact, he looked rather bored by the turn of the conversation. 

Ms. Matteo clenched her hands into fists. "How dare you!" she sputtered. Her face was so red that Joe could have sworn he saw smoke coming out of her ears. "You haven't seen the last of me, yet!" Without saying another word, she spun on her heels and stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind her. 

"Ouch," Joe grimaced, rubbing his ears. 

"I'd say," Frank agreed. "Who was that?" he asked Shane curiously. 

"That was Tara Matteo," Shane replied simply. "The Matteo family lives in Inzell Island," he started explaining. "She has been hounding me for months ever since I purchased this island. Her father, Zach Matteo, had been planning to buy the island before he suddenly died of heart failure. I've heard from the locals that his death was sort of expected because he had attacks occasionally before. Anyway, I happened to be looking for a place to expand my business around this area when I accidentally found this island. I had talked to the estate agent, Mr. Fisher, and he'd told me I could take this island since Ms. Matteo didn't claim it after the duration of two weeks." 

"I can understand why she's so mad at you," Joe remarked with a grin. 

Frank still remained serious. "Do you think she would do anything to get you away from this island?" he asked. 

"She's been giving me reasons and 'legal rights' lectures for months why I should leave this place," Shane shrugged. "I don't see what harm it can do to me." 

"You never took her words seriously?" Joe prompted in surprise. "What if she finally got hold the copy of the agreement?" 

"Then I'll do what I have to do to keep this island," he replied vaguely. 

When he heard Shane's response, Joe hoped he wouldn't resort to something low. Frank exchanged glances with his brother and shrugged. Both of them seemed to have a silent agreement to drop the subject, for now. 

"But do you think she is capable to sabotage your resort just to throw you out of here?" Frank asked, with a frown. 

"Hmm, it's very hard to say. I don't know her much. I just thought that she is all talk," Shane admitted. "But now that you mention it, I guess it might be possible. I heard the Matteo family is well known in a shady business. She could hire someone to do her dirty work." 

"Shady business?" Joe prompted. 

Shane shrugged. "It's just a rumor, but that's what the locals in Inzell were saying to me. They seemed a bit afraid of the Matteos." 

"Hmm, sounds like Tara Matteo jumps up as our number one suspect, don't you think so? Frank?" Joe asked. 

"We need to check out more about the Matteo family," Frank agreed. 

"Now, how about if I show you around?" Shane suggested, changing the subject. 

"Sure," Joe said, enthusiastically. He had been itching to move around. He could never stay still especially when he was sitting in an office. 

It was already evening when Shane took them out to the back of the large building. Everything was dark, except for a few lampposts scattered over the construction area. The lights weren't strong, but they were enough for them to see glimpses of buildings and trees. At the back of the building, there was a large patio with a large empty swimming pool in the middle of it. Then Shane led them to the guests' houses, which were scattered all over on the right side of the main building. Most of them were still outlined by gray scaffolding even though they looked almost complete. The walls and roofs still needed to be painted. 

"What about the woods over there? What are you planning to do with them?" Joe asked curiously, pointing to the thick woods on the left side of the main building. He hoped Shane wouldn't cut them. The thought of an island without any single trees turned him off. 

"Nothing at the moment," came the reply from Shane. 

A very tall, muscular man in a white sleeveless shirt and a pair of old jeans suddenly walked over to Shane. He looked dusty as if he had been working at the construction site. He had short crew cut blond hair and a pair of icy blue eyes. He was about in his late thirties. 

"One house is finally finished, Mr. Unterhauser," he reported in a rumbling voice. 

"At least something is progressing today," Shane said with a slight relief. "Frank, Joe, I'd like you to meet Neil Sterling. And Neil, this is Frank and Joe MacAllister," he quickly introduced the brothers to Neil Sterling. 

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Sterling," Joe said, shaking hands with the tall man. The man's handshake was firm and Joe could feel a large ring on his middle finger. The head of the ring shaped like a hemisphere glass, and it looked like it had some kind of whitish liquid inside it. When he looked at the man, Joe suddenly felt very small. Not only the man was about six foot five, and very muscular, but something about the way he stared at Joe and Frank chilled him to the bone. 

"I think you can call him, Neil," Shane told them, slapping a hand on Neil's back. 

Neil grunted something under his breath, but he didn't say anything. His stony face made it impossible for Joe to read him. Was he happy about meeting them? Worried? Fear? Joe couldn't tell. 

"Got to work," Neil said gruffly before walking away. 

"He doesn't talk much, does he?" Joe commented when the big man had gone. 

"But he's good at his work," Shane told them. "Now, how about some dinner? We can go over to Inzell," he suggested. 

Joe looked at Frank and both of them nodded. "All right," Frank agreed, "but we need to go back to our room to freshen up. It's been quite a long day." 

"All right. I'll wait downstairs at nine?" Shane suggested. 

Frank glanced at his wristwatch. It was almost eight. "Nine is fine," he agreed. 

They walked back into the building. When Frank and Joe were in their room, Joe immediately headed to the bathroom. Frank was pleased to see a phone at the nightstand. He picked up the receiver and was even pleased that it was working. He also noticed a small kitchen at one side of the room. 

"I'm going to call home to see if Dad has left a message or something," Frank told his brother before Joe disappeared behind the bathroom door. 

"Great idea," Joe said and shut the door. 

Frank quickly called home. After a few rings, someone finally picked up the phone. 

"Hardy residence," his mother's voice came over the line. 

"Mom, it's me," Frank said. 

"Oh, Frank, I'm glad you've arrived there safely," Laura Hardy said in relief. 

"Is there anything wrong?" Frank asked anxiously. 

"No, nothing's wrong. I still haven't heard anything from your father, yet," she told him, which Frank was dreading to hear. "I hope nothing happened to him." 

"I'm sure there's nothing to worry about," Frank said, more to assure himself than her mother. "Maybe Chief Peterson needs more time." 

"I guess you're right," her mother said. They chatted for a while and Frank gave his mother their phone number at the hotel before they finally hung up the phone. 

"Still no news on Dad?" Joe asked when he saw Frank's thoughtful look. He just came out of the bathroom. 

"Yeah," he replied, running his hand through his dark hair. "I'm just wondering why Dad didn't call home, that's all." 

"I'm getting worried about it myself," Joe admitted. "But I think we can review those employees' backgrounds to kill time before our dinner," he suggested. 

"I guess you're right," Frank agreed reluctantly. "If we still haven't receive any messages from Dad again by tomorrow, I suggest we make a call to Chief Peterson's office and home. " 

"Why didn't we think of that earlier?" Joe muttered. 

"We thought we could give the chief some space, but a week seems a bit too long for Dad to have a talk with him," Frank explained. He pulled out the papers from his jacket. "Okay, let's start reading. It's a good thing Shane has three employees at the moment." 

"Okay, I'll start with Jim," Joe suggested as he took the paper with Jim's photo on it. He quickly skimmed through the one-page résumé of Jim Owen. "Looks like the guy changes job almost every year, except for the first one. His fist job was as an accountant for Harrison National Bank in Delaware. He worked there for four years, and then there's a big gap of two years before he worked again as a mechanic. After a year, he stopped, and then worked as a taxi driver. That one took only six months before he took again another job," Joe paused for a breath. "And…" he said as he read until the end of the resume, "his job here at this resort should be his sixth job." 

"Phew, that's a lot. Wonder what he did for that unaccounted two years?" Frank wondered with a thoughtful frown. 

"I don't know," Joe admitted. "He couldn't be doing nothing, could he?" he scratched his head. "What have you got on your hands?" he asked his brother. 

"Jane Rosso's résumé," Frank answered, reading quickly through the papers. "Not much here. Just doing some odd jobs here and there, most of them secretary work. Hmm…" he suddenly said with an interested look. 

"What?" Joe asked. 

Frank still didn't answer as he continued reading through another paper. 

"Frank!" Joe said exasperatedly. 

"What?" 

"What do you mean '_what?_'. You were telling me about Jane's life, and then you go '_hmm…_', and then…what? What did you find out?" Joe asked, trying hard to control his impatience. Sometimes Joe could have sworn his brother was testing his patience. It annoyed him. 

"Look at this," Frank handed him the paper that he was reading. 

"This is Neil Sterling's," Joe said, confused as he glanced at the paper. "What about Jane's? Anything suspicious?" he asked. 

"Nothing, I guess, except there's a one year in her life unaccounted. It might be nothing," Frank reported. 

"So, what about Neil?" Joe asked. 

"Read on," Frank urged his brother. "Can you see something strange in there?" he asked. 

"Hmmm, after he graduated from high school, he didn't seemed to be doing anything for…nine years?" Joe said in disbelief. He turned back to the paper. "Then, all of a sudden he was in Brazil, working for a pharmaceutical company. He worked there for six years, before he changed his job to work as a security guard for Unterhauser Electronics." He stopped in surprise. "So, Shane has known him before," he couldn't help saying. 

"Makes me wonder if Shane noticed the missing nine years," Frank told him. 

"Oh, wow, this is getting mighty interesting," Joe let out his breath in a rush. 

Then Frank suddenly glanced at his watch. "Yikes! We'd better get down for dinner," he exclaimed. Keeping the papers in a drawer, both of them quickly headed out of the room. 

*** 

Dinner at a seafood restaurant in Inzell Island was the best one the brothers had ever had. Joe had lost count how many rounds he had his meals in one night. He especially liked the tiger prawns cooked with butter and some other additional spices. By the time the dessert came, his stomach was already too full. He looked longingly at the vanilla pudding, with a few assorted fruits inside it, complemented with chocolate sprinkles on top. 

"Come on, Joe, don't you like desserts?" Frank asked when he noticed his brother just stared at the dessert bowl. 

"Of course I do," Joe said, looking insulted, "I was just telepathically telling my tummy to leave a space so that thing can still fit in," he cracked, pointing to the dessert. 

"Oh, sure," Frank groaned, rolling his eyes. 

"I'm glad you guys enjoyed the meal," Shane said, looking pleased. 

"It's the best one," Joe agreed, as he took a deep breath before scooping the pudding with a spoon. 

Frank decided it was a good time to talk about the case. "Shane," he began, "we have already looked through your employees' backgrounds. Did you notice anything…strange?" he asked carefully. 

"You mean like Neil's résumé?" Shane prompted with a raised eyebrow. 

"Yes, like that one," Frank answered. 

"I did ask him that," Shane admitted. "He told me he had spent those nine years working as a gofer and part-time stuntman in one of the filming studios in Los Angeles." 

"As a gofer and stuntman? Nine years?" Joe asked in disbelief. 

"I was a little skeptic, of course, but he did gave me a contact number in LA to a person who can vouch for him. It seems all right to me," Shane explained, and shrugged. 

"Why didn't Neil put it in the paper?" Frank asked. 

"There was no written contract that he was working there, so he didn't think it was necessary," Shane answered. 

They finished their desserts a few minutes later before heading back to Verin Island by boat. Frank and Joe thanked Shane for the meal before heading up to their room. By this time, Joe was already feeling bloated. All he wanted to do right now was sleeping - pronto. 

After Frank unlocked the door, he noticed a white envelope as soon as he switched on the light. 

"A mail? At night?" Joe asked, eyeing the letter. 

Frank quickly opened the envelope and took out a piece of paper. He took a deep breath when he read the black bold letters. "WATCH YOUR BACK FROM NOW ON, HARDY!" 


	5. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

"So, what's the plan for today?" Joe Hardy asked, after he finished dressing the next morning. It was nine o'clock, and the day looked perfect for a swim. 

Ever since they found out someone had already known their identities, Frank had decided to move fast on the case. 

"First, we check if our suspects have police records. And since Dad isn't anywhere to be found, I'm going to search through the police database myself. I just hope Dad hasn't change his password," Frank told his brother. "Then we'll see this Mr. Fisher, the estate agent," he added. 

"Why?" Joe asked in puzzlement. 

"I'm just curious why Ms. Matteo wanted this island so much. It might be nothing, but you'll never know," Frank shrugged. 

"Boy, you made it sound as if there's a secret treasure on this island," Joe grinned. "I might be tempted to find it myself, if it is true." 

"I wish it was that easy," Frank agreed. "But who do you think could have known our identity?" he asked. They had discussed this the night before, but since they were very tired last night, they couldn't think clearly. 

"It could be Jane," Joe replied simply. 

"Why?" 

"She could have eavesdropped Shane's office. Maybe Shane contacted Dad from his office, and Jane 'happened' to be there," Joe explained. "Remember yesterday?" 

Frank nodded thoughtfully. "You could be right," he agreed. "But that doesn't mean we have to forget about the other suspects." 

"Who do you have in mind?" Joe asked. 

"Jim or Neil, I hope to find something useful today," Frank replied. "Come on, let's get some breakfast," he suddenly said. 

"That's the best idea I've heard this morning," Joe joked. Frank just shook his head before they headed out of the door. 

After having breakfast in one of the cafés in Inzell, Frank bought a small map of the island from a bookstore. He was about to walk out of the store when Joe suddenly tapped his arm. 

"What's wrong?" Frank asked when he noticed Joe's curious look. His brother was looking out of the store window. 

"Look! Isn't that, Jim?" Joe asked as he pointed to a figure in sunglasses and a cap walking along the sidewalk across the street. 

Curious, Frank glanced out of the window. The figure was dressed as if to avoid recognition, but Frank didn't need to check closer to see it was Jim. The man was wearing yesterday's clothes. 

"Come on, let's see what he's up to," Frank urged his brother as they walked out of the store. 

The brothers tailed within a reasonable distance between their suspect. Jim didn't seem to notice that he was being followed. Even though the town was small, the unusually large number of tourists walking up and down the sidewalk helped to conceal their movement. 

Joe almost collided into Frank when his brother suddenly stopped moving. 

"Whoa! Why are you stopping? Did you lose him?" Joe exclaimed. 

"No, he went into that café," Frank pointed to a café at the corner of the block. "I think it's better if we wait here. He might get suspicious if we go inside there," he said, pulling out the map that he had bought. 

"Hey, we can pretend that we're searching for a place on the map while we wait for Jim," Joe told him, suddenly feeling brilliant. "That way no one would get suspicious if we wait for him." 

"That's why I'm taking out the map," Frank retorted. "But we have to be careful not to spend too much time reading a map." 

Joe gave a scowl. "Hey, you can't blame me if we have the same brilliant idea," he countered. "You're not the only one with the brains, big brother." 

"I'm sure you do, Joe," Frank said. "Now, let's start reading the map," he ordered. 

Fortunately, they didn't have to wait long when they noticed a familiar character coming out of the café ten minutes later. 

"That's Tara Matteo! What's she doing here?" Joe exclaimed quietly. 

The woman stood in front of the café, with a large man in dark suit standing beside her. Joe could easily tell the man was her bodyguard. A large black limo suddenly stopped in front of the café. The man stepped up and opened the door for Ms. Matteo. After shutting the door, the man climbed the front passenger seat. 

Frank was about to say something when Jim came out of the café. The slim man glanced nonchalantly at the limo, but Frank could have sworn he saw Jim nodded slightly toward the black tinted glass of the limo as if he could see the interior. Then the limo pulled away into the street and left the place. Jim finally glanced around. Frank quickly pulled up the map to cover their faces. 

"You know, Jim would get suspicious if we keep doing like this too long," Joe remarked. "And not to mention we're looking on the blank side of the map!" 

"I know that," Frank replied huffily, even though he didn't. He quickly turned the map on the right side. 

"Need some help, guys?" Jim's voice suddenly came over. 

Frank pulled down the map slightly. Jim was walking toward them, looking curious. 

"Uh – no, thanks," Frank replied carefully, hoping that Jim didn't suspect what they were up to. 

"We were just familiarizing ourselves with the streets," Joe spoke up. 

"It doesn't take more than three days to familiarize this place. I've already known this place like the back of my hand in one week when I first came here," Jim told them. 

"You're off duty today?" Joe asked the man casually. 

"Nah, just getting something to eat," Jim told them. "I'm not a good cook," he admitted. 

Frank remembered the employees' quarters had their own kitchen. But he couldn't help wondering if Jim was here to meet Ms. Matteo, or really to eat. When he recalled the scene earlier, he was sure Jim had a meeting with Ms. Matteo. 

"I thought I saw Ms. Matteo came out from that café," Frank said casually. "She came to Shane's office yesterday, and almost bit his head off." 

"She's been doing that for months. Who knows what she's up to next?" Jim shrugged. His manner seemed normal, but for a brief moment his eyes showed uneasiness, and perhaps, fear? Frank wasn't sure; the uncomfortable look was gone as quickly as it came. 

"And Shane controlled the situation easily. I think he must have gotten used by her visits," Joe added. 

Jim frowned. "Shane is good when it comes to tactical matters. I wouldn't get too trusting with him if I were you," he told them. 

"What do you mean by that?" Joe asked curiously. 

Jim waved it off. "Forget what I said. I've got to go back to work now," he said hastily. Before the boys could say anything, Jim was already crossing the street. 

"So, what do you make of that?" Joe spoke up after watching Jim heading toward the direction of the dock. 

"Either he's having a grudge or he's warning us against Shane," Frank replied thoughtfully. "Come on, let's head back to Verin," he said. 

They arrived back at Verin Island half an hour later. The construction area was busy with activities, but the brothers headed straight into the main building. The phone was ringing when the boys reached their room. 

"That must be, Mom," Frank exclaimed as he dashed to the nightstand. He grabbed the receiver. "Hello?" 

"Frank," his mother's voice went through the line, "your father called just now," she announced. 

"He's all right, isn't he?" Frank asked, trying not to sound anxious. 

"Yes, he's fine," his mother assured him. "He's just explained why he didn't call, but I think you'd better talk to him yourself," she told him, and quickly gave Frank the contact number of his father. 

"This looks like a number in the Brooklyn area," Frank commented quizzically. 

"A precinct, actually, where Sidney used to work," she told him. "But I think your father will explain what's going on. He's already told me, but it's better for you to hear it from him." 

"All right," Frank replied. After saying goodbye, he immediately dialed the number his mother had given him. 

A few minutes later, he managed to get his father on the line. 

"Dad! What's going on?" Frank asked instantly as soon as he heard his father's voice. Joe quickly came over and listened next to his brother. 

"I've been busy checking out Sidney's murder." His father's voice was grim. 

"Murder?" Frank echoed in shock. 

"Yes, he was poisoned."


	6. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

"How could that happen?" Frank asked, still looking stunned. 

"We still don't know. The blood test result shows a tiny amount of an unidentified poison. The forensics has never seen it before. It would be easier to make a trial antidote if we can pinpoint which type of class the poison is," Mr. Hardy said. "It looks like Sidney had digested the poison without knowing it." 

"So, what are you going to do now?" 

"We're trying to find out what Sidney had done or the places that he had gone before his death," he replied. 

"What about Chief Peterson? Is he all right now?" Frank asked quietly. 

He heard his father took a deep breath. "It's been really hard for him," Mr. Hardy said slowly. "And finding out that his son was murdered is more than he could take at the moment. I've already told him to take some time off, but he wants to join the investigation, too." 

Frank could understand why Chief Peterson wanted to be in the investigation, but he knew it would take a lot of strength not to get too personal on the case. He couldn't imagine what he would do if something happened to one of his family, especially someone like his brother. He shook the disturbing thoughts away. 

"I hope the chief doesn't take matters into his own hands," Frank said seriously. 

"Don't worry, I'm keeping a close eye on him," his father assured. "Now, how's the case with Mr. Unterhauser?" he asked, changing the subject. 

"We seem to have a few potential suspects," Frank replied and began telling him the development of the case. Then he told his father what they were planning to do. "Does any of the names ring any bell?" he asked when he had finished explaining. "We're hoping to see if one of them has criminal records." 

"Hmm, the name Jim Owen sounds familiar," Mr. Hardy told them. "I think I've done an investigation on him years ago, and he was sent to prison for a few years." 

Frank and Joe glanced at each other knowingly. Bingo! 

"Anyway, I think you can check in my database to clarify this," Mr. Hardy went on. "It's possible Jim has recognized you two and sent you the warning letter. That means you have to be careful from now on," he reminded them. 

"We know, dad," Frank replied. They talked for a moment before hanging up the phone. 

"I can't believe about Sidney's death," Joe commented seriously. The usual bright look on his face changed to somber. He could almost feel for Chief Peterson. After all, Joe had lost someone he really loved to a hideous act of the Assassin, a terrorist group they had encountered every once in a while. 

Even without saying anything, Frank could tell Joe was thinking of Iola Morton. "Come on, Joe," he said, patting Joe's shoulder, "Let's tackle this case as quickly as we can so that we can go home and find out more about Sidney's death," he suggested, trying to shift the conversation from turning gloomy. 

"I guess you're right," Joe replied grudgingly. 

"Of course I'm right. I wouldn't be the smart one if I'm not," Frank quipped, reaching out for his laptop that he had placed under the bed. After getting the warning letter last night, he had decided to hide some of their important things in the room. 

Joe rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "And I suppose I have to be smart enough to know that, huh? Don't get insulted if I don't know what you're talking about," he cracked. 

Frank ignored his brother's wisecrack as he hooked the phone line to the laptop. He connected to the net, and went to the database site that his father always used. He was relieved when his father didn't change his password, yet. Mr. Hardy would change his password every couple of months for security reasons. 

"So, who are we going to check first?" Joe asked as he looked on over Frank's shoulders. 

"Jim," Frank replied simply as he typed in the name into the search box. 

A few minutes later, a few names came up. "Looks like we have four Jim Owens here," Joe told him. "We have to check who is who." 

"Here he is," Frank exclaimed a minute later, when he found the person he was looking for. 

"Okay, he was sent to prison for five years for embezzling the Harrison National Banks accounts, and assault, but released early for good behavior," Joe read. "And dad was the one who investigated for the bank." 

Frank pulled out Jim's résumé from a drawer and made some crosschecking. "Yup, it corresponds with the missing two years from his résumé," he said with a nod. 

"So, now we know where he was during that time. Who's next?" Joe asked. 

Frank quickly entered the name Jane Rosso. They were surprised that she also had a police record. "Okay, she was in jail for a few months for auto theft in New York, and Dad had investigated her case, too," Frank reported and checked the papers on his hand. Sure enough, the unaccounted one year in her résumé was the same one as the time she had been in jail. 

Joe let out his breath. "Now, we have two people with police records," he commented. 

They checked Neil, and Shane's name, but nothing came up. But when they entered the name Matteo, the screen was filled with full details for a guy named, Zachary Matteo. 

"Whoa, this guy got to be the most popular man in the police records. I wonder if he got an award for that," Joe commented as he read the details on the screen. 

"But the only problem is – he is dead now," Frank told him. "Someone's got to represent him to take the award," he added with a slight grin. Joe groaned at his brother's sense of humor. 

"Look at all this – bribery, extortion, embezzlement...blah, blah, blah – you name it, he got it. He'd been prosecuted and been on trial before, but the verdict found he wasn't guilty," Joe said with a shake of his head. "I'm beginning to sympathize to those people who had been victimized by him." 

"And Dad was also one of the witnesses in the trial," Frank reported when he saw the name of the witnesses who had been on the trial. He clicked another article on Matteo, which had caught his eyes. "And get this, the Matteo family was well-known for their rivalry with the Bianco family." 

"Bianco? Aren't they the same one that Dad had investigated before he retired?" Joe asked, racking his brain to remember the details his father had told him about the case. He remembered how proud his father was to solve the biggest case before he quit the force. 

"That's the one," Frank said. "After Kurt Bianco was sent to prison, all of Bianco's operations were shutdown." 

"Man, do you realize what this means?" Joe asked, flopping down on the bed. 

"What?" 

"Almost every suspect here is directly or indirectly connected to Dad," Joe pointed out. 

"That means, we really have to watch our backs from now on," Frank said grimly. 

*** 

After the brothers had their lunch, Frank decided to head to the library in Inzell to do some research, while Joe went back to Verin Island. They had agreed to divide their tasks. Joe would question the suspects, while Frank do the research. 

Joe decided to have a talk to Shane again. He hadn't seen the man since this morning. He walked along the hallway toward Shane's office. He smiled at Jane who was sitting at her desk when he entered the personnel area. 

"Hi," Joe said to her. 

"Hi," she replied, looking slightly nervous. "Can I help you?" she asked him as she stopped typing on the keyboard. 

"Is Shane in? I'd like to speak to him," Joe told her. He wondered if Jane was always this nervous. Was she nervous that he might found out about her criminal record? If she was, then she could have known that he was working undercover. 

Jane shook her head. "Sorry, he's not here. He went to New York for an appointment. I'm not sure when he'll be back though," she replied. 

Joe sighed. "Thanks, anyway." He was about to walk away before turning back to Jane. "Is Neil here, too?" he asked. 

"No, he went with Mr. Unterhauser," she told him. 

Joe raised his eyebrows in surprise. "They have known each other before they came here, haven't they?" 

"You mean Mr. Sterling and Mr. Unterhauser?" Jane asked. When Joe nodded, she replied, "Yes, Mr. Sterling has been working for Mr. Unterhauser for years, especially in security." 

"What do you think of Neil Sterling?" Joe asked her. "He looks like he never smile ever since he came to Earth," he remarked with a grin. 

Jane couldn't help smiling. "He's a serious worker, I suppose. I don't think he'll win a personality contest, though," she said. 

"I'll be surprised if he does," Joe agreed, with a laugh. 

"To tell you the truth, I don't know a lot about him, or anyone else in this area," Jane told him, pulling out a few pieces of blank white paper from the desk drawer and placed it into the printer tray. 

Joe beamed when his eyes caught something in the drawer. "Hey, I didn't know you listen to heavy metals," he commented as he pulled out a few CDs. "Metallica, Megadeth, Manowar…," he recognized the CDs immediately without looking at them. "Now, these are the classics. You sure have great taste in music, unlike my brother." Joe made a face, and inwardly shuddered at the thought of his brother's music collection. 

Jane looked embarrassed as she took the CDs from him and placed them back into the drawer. "I know I don't look like someone who listens to heavy metals, but I happened to like them," she told him, a bit defensively. 

Joe raised his hands, "Hey, I wasn't implying anything. I just thought it was cool to know someone who happens to have the same taste of music like I do," he told her. "Sorry, if I offended you or anything," he apologized. 

"Don't worry about it," she assured him and continued typing on the keyboard. 

"So, what do you think of Tara Matteo? She doesn't seem she likes Shane much," he asked, changing the subject. 

"You're right about that. She's pretty upset about the island," Jane agreed. "She was planning to get the island before Mr. Unterhauser bought it." 

"Yeah. It's such a small island. I don't see why it's such a big deal," Joe remarked casually. 

"I don't either," Jane shrugged. "Some people you can't understand their motives. I've heard about the Matteo family. You never know, she might have some hidden agendas under her sleeves." 

"For this piece of island?" 

Jane shrugged. "It's just my opinion. Like I said, I don't know most of these people around here," she replied. 

"Hmm, I think I'll go check on Jim. I'm interested to know what he's working on at the construction site," Joe said, suddenly remembering that he was undercover. He started walking back to the hallway. There was a brief panic look on Jane's face before it went away. "Is something wrong?" he asked her, puzzled by her sudden changed of manner. 

"N-Nothing," she replied hastily, turning back to her computer, as if nothing was wrong. 

Joe studied her carefully before shaking his head and walked away. When he finally found the emergency door that led to the stairway and the back exit of the building, he suddenly heard a noise around the corner of the hallway. It sounded like as if it came from Shane's office, since it was the only room around the corner. Didn't Jane tell him that Shane was having an appointment? Maybe Shane came back using the emergency door, and Jane has no way of knowing that he's back, he reasoned silently. 

Instead of heading to the emergency exit, he continued walking and turned around the corner. At the same time, he saw someone came out of Shane's office. It was not Shane. 

"Jim, is Shane in there?" Joe asked the man. 

Jim looked startled. He slammed the door close behind him, and without warning, he ran straight toward Joe, nearly knocking him to the ground. 

"Hey!" Joe exclaimed, trying to regain his balance. He was about to run after the man when a sudden thud on the back of his head sent him into blackness. 


	7. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

Frank Hardy sat at one of the cubicles in the Inzell Library looking through microfilms of old editions of Inzell Times that a librarian had shown him. He wasn't sure what he wanted to find, but he thought they might tell him something about Verin Island. He decided to start from the one that dated six months ago. It was around that time Shane had bought the island, and when Zach Matteo died. 

After scrolling through a few microfilms for an hour, Frank thought his eyes had gone crossed. He sighed and tried the next one. He'd forgotten how time-consuming doing this part of detective work, that for a moment he felt an urge to threaten the owner of Inzell Times to display every edition of the newspaper on the Net. That way, he could just put on the keyword search to find what he was searching for in minutes. Maybe I've been too dependent on my laptop for too long, he thought wryly. He felt like abandoning his task when he suddenly noticed a headline that he wanted to see. ZACH MATTEO DIES. 

He quickly skimmed through the pages – most of it basically the same story as Shane had told him. Zach Matteo had suffered from heart attack a few times before his death. His death wasn't a surprise to the people living in Inzell Island. He died after playing a game of tennis at the Inzell Country Club. His funeral was done in private. There was also an article mentioning Verin Island that Mr. Matteo had been planning to buy. 

"People is speculating that Mr. Matteo wanted to buy the island as to show that the Biancos are no longer in control," Frank read on with sudden interest. "The island, which was originally owned by Kurt Bianco, had been abandoned for ten years ever since the owner is sent to prison," he continued reading. 

Frank sat back and began thinking. Could this be the reason why Tara Matteo wanted the island so much? Frank thought. He wondered if there were other Bianco's abandoned properties lying out there. Did Matteo own any of them? Did Mr. Matteo was planning to collect everything that once belonged to Bianco? He knew it sounded farfetched, but it could be a good motive for the Matteos. 

He would have to check this angle from other sources though. He wouldn't find all about Bianco's properties in here. He turned back to the screen. He scrolled further down to check if there was anything more interesting. Other than articles about Shane Unterhauser buying Verin Island, and Tara's reaction to his 'thievery', there was nothing else interesting to be read about. 

Sighing, Frank rubbed his eyes tiredly. He glanced at his watch and was surprised to see it was already half past four. He'd better get back or else Joe might be wondering where he was. He stood up and stretched, rubbing his back wearily. 

When Frank got back to Verin, and to his room, Joe wasn't there to be found. Maybe he's in Shane's office, reporting about the case, he thought. But he couldn't help feeling a little uneasy as he made his way down to Shane's office. 

Jane was at her desk when he arrived downstairs. 

"Hi, Jane. Is Shane in?" Frank asked the woman. 

"Oh, Mr. MacAllister," Jane said nervously. "Yes, he just got back from New York," she reported. "You can just go in." Her voice almost broke when she finished. 

Frank frowned. "Do you happen to see my brother today?" he asked on a hunch. 

"Uh, yeah," she replied. "We talked a little before he left this afternoon," she told him. 

"Did he say where he went?" he continued asking, watching her arranging the papers on her desk. 

"N-No," she answered. She continued arranging her desk, obviously making a show that she wasn't in the mood to speak to him. 

"But you must have seen where he was heading after that," Frank continued grilling. He didn't like the feel of this at all. 

"He might have gone out through the emergency door down the hall," she replied. "I didn't see where he was heading though." 

"So, he was on this floor this afternoon," Frank said, almost to himself. "Have you seen Neil or Jim?" he asked. 

"They must be at the construction site as usual," she told him, still not looking at him. 

Frank could tell she was hiding something, but he didn't press further. "I think I'll go and see Shane," he told her and quickly left. 

Shane was sitting behind his desk when Frank entered the office. The man was typing something on his laptop. 

"So, how's the case going, Frank?" Shane asked when Frank had seated. 

"Not much, but I found out something about Matteo," he replied and told him about his research at the library. 

Shane's eyebrows shot up in surprise when as he listened. "I didn't realized this piece of island has some sort of history," he commented after Frank had done. 

Frank, however, was a little distracted. He turned to Shane, trying not to look anxious. "Do you happened to see my brother this afternoon?" he asked Shane. 

"I thought he was with you," Shane replied, looking surprised. 

"No, he wasn't," Frank told him. 

"Well, I didn't see him," Shane said. "I just got back from New York, and Neil was with me all the time. Other than Jane and Jim, I didn't see anyone else." 

Now, Frank was starting to get worried. Wasn't Joe supposed to be questioning Jim and Jane? Both of them must have seen him or at least knew where he had gone. 

"Is Jim still here?" he asked Shane. 

"Yeah, he's working on the houses," Shane answered. 

"All right, I guess I'll talk to Jim," Frank said and stood up. 

"If you need any more help, don't hesitate to ask me," Shane reminded him before Frank went out. 

"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks," Frank said hastily before going out. He entered the emergency door that led to a stairway. There was another door that led to the back of the building. He opened it, and jogged over to the dusty construction site. After asking around, some of the workers pointed to where he could find Jim. 

Jim seemed to be having an argument with Neil when Frank approached them. 

"You'd better keep that in mind, Sterling!" Jim was saying to Neil, jabbing his finger against the man's chest. 

Both of them instantly grew quiet when they noticed Frank. Then Jim turned, facing the wall, and continued doing a painting job. Neil however was glowering at Jim. The man frowned when he saw Frank. 

"What do you want?" Jim asked gruffly when Frank stood beside him. 

Frank wondered what could have made Jim acting like a grouch. "I was just wondering if you've seen Joe this afternoon," he said. 

"No, didn't see him," Jim replied as he dipped the paintbrush into a pail that was filled with white paint. 

"He never spoke to you or anything?" 

"Hey, didn't you hear what I said, kid?" Jim said, almost shouting. "He didn't come to me, and I didn't see him." 

"What's going on here?" Neil's rumbling voice growled. 

"Nothing's of your concern, Neil," Jim snapped, glaring at the man. 

The huge man gave Jim and Frank a cold stare. "If there's nothing, go back to your work," he barked. Then he glowered at Frank. "And you, get out of here! This is no place for a kid like you." 

Frank looked steadily at Neil, keeping his cool. "I will go until you tell me if you've seen my brother," he said levelly. 

"Haven't seen him," Neil growled. "Now, get out!" 

Frank retreated back to the main building. He began to get worried. Maybe it's nothing, Frank reflected silently. Maybe Joe had gone to Inzell to eat something. His brother sometimes had a knack to eat whenever he felt like it. Or maybe he's up in the room now, he suddenly thought and quickly dashed up the stairs to the first floor. When he entered the room, he was disappointed to see it was empty. He started pacing around the room, waiting for Joe's return. But in his mind there was only one question that kept echoing inside. _Where are you, Joe?_


	8. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7**

Joe Hardy stirred as the water washed over him, almost drowning him. He instinctively choked out the water that entered his nose and mouth. He felt he was lying on something soft and grainy. His face felt hot, and when he tried to open his eyes, the glare of the sun almost blinded him. He struggled to a sitting position, but stopped when he realized his wrists were tied behind. A dull throbbing pain at the back of his head jerked him back to the ground. 

The water washed over him again. He tried to move, but every limb on his body felt heavy. _Where am I?_ He wondered. Slowly aware by the sound of the crashing waves, he knew he was lying on the beach. Okay, now I'm thinking, Joe thought. At least he knew his brain was still working. Now, get up, he urged himself silently. 

Gritting his teeth, he forced every muscle on his body to obey his mind. Slowly and slowly, he managed to sit, and opened his eyes again. Taking the unfamiliar view around him, he realized he was lying on the shore. He frantically searched through his foggy mind to find out what had happened. _How did I get here? Why is it so quiet? Where's everyone?_ The panic almost made him dizzy. 

He struggled against his bond, but it was tightly knotted. With a grunt, he wriggled and forced his bounded hands until he had them behind his knees. He winced when he felt the rough texture of the rope straining against his skin. When he had succeeded, he folded his knees and easily glided his arms under his feet. He let out a breath of relief when his tied hands were finally in front of him. When he found a sharp stone on the sand, he began to think as he sawed through the rope. 

How long had he been lying out here? Geez, I must have look like a lobster right now, he suddenly realized. He tried to remember the events before he came here – or brought here. He was sure he didn't come here by his own decision. Unterhauser Resort, he thought suddenly. He was at the resort, talking to Jane. And then he remembered Jim coming out of Shane's office and tried to run away. And then someone, not Jim, knocked him out. He had a suspicion it was Jane. Who else was there in the building that time? 

"Think later," Joe said to himself as his hands were finally released. There were red welts on his wrists where the rope had been. He rubbed his wrists, and stood up, trying to think of his next step. Right now, he had to find his brother. He entered the woods that lined along the beach. It must have been a small island because it took him almost ten minutes to reach the other side of the island. The fact hit him like a bolt of lightning. He wasn't on Verin Island. He was stranded on an empty island! 

Again the panic washed over him. How in the world was he going to go back to Verin Island? He glanced over the sea and saw a couple of islands nearby. But he wasn't sure if one of them was Verin Island. He couldn't even see any boats on sight crossing the sea at the moment. That way he could hitch one and tell the captain to take him back to Verin Island. 

Joe knew his brother would get worried and might send a search party for him. But he was sure Frank wouldn't think of searching him here. He had to do something, and he definitely wouldn't wait until someone came here. That might take ages. _What am I supposed to do now?_

*** 

"Anything?" Frank asked Shane anxiously for the umpteenth time. 

"No," he shook his head. "I don't think he's on this island. We've searched every corner of this land." 

Frank had asked Shane to help him find his brother since it was already almost eight at night. In return, Shane had called his employees to help him with the search. Only Neil and Jane came, but Jim was nowhere to be found. Frank couldn't help noticing how agitated Jane looked when Shane told them that Joe was missing. They were now grouping in the lobby. 

"He could be on Inzell," Shane continued. 

"Then he would have call me," Frank countered. "I'd say we search again," he said in a determined tone. 

Shane was about to argue when Jim came in from the main entrance. 

"Where were you?" Shane asked the man. 

Jim looked surprised. "I was having dinner. There's nothing wrong with that, right?" he asked, almost sneering. 

Shane ignored Jim's hostile response. "We're trying to find Joe. We could use some help here," he told the man firmly. 

"I wouldn't get worried if I were you," Jim told them. 

"Oh? What do you mean by that?" Frank asked the man curiously. 

"I know that kind of kid. He's the adventurous type, isn't he?" 

"What's that supposed to mean?" Frank asked, narrowing his eyes. 

"I think he's bored here," Jim remarked. 

"So?" 

"So, you're wasting your time finding him. I just saw him at Inzell, playing billiards in one of the clubs," he replied vaguely. 

"Which club?" Frank demanded, slightly suspicious. 

"How the heck should I know? I was just passing by and happened to see him through the window." Jim shrugged. 

"I thought you know everything in Inzell. There must be only a few clubs over there," Frank pointed out. 

"Hey, I was tired, and I wasn't really looking," Jim replied, a bit too defensively. "I'm going to bed," he announced and walked to the stairs. 

Frank was about to go after Jim when he felt a hand on his shoulder, restraining him. He turned and saw Shane, who shook his head. 

"Why are you letting him go easily?" Frank asked, slightly angry. 

"We can check by ourselves. I know a few clubs over there," Shane replied calmly. 

"If he's really there," Frank said. "I'm not so sure that Jim was telling the truth." 

"It's the only lead we got," Shane told him. 

Frank sighed. "I guess you're right," he agreed grudgingly. 

As the four of them walked to the main door, it suddenly burst open. A blond guy dripping with water from head to toe stumbled into the room. "Hey, anybody home?" he asked hoarsely. 

"Joe!" Frank immediately rushed to his brother. "What'd happened? And you're all…all wet. We've been searching for you," he said. He'd never thought he was glad to see his brother. 

"I'll tell you later. Right now, I want to have a word with Jim, and maybe, Jane," Joe said gruffly, with a hint of anger in his voice. 

All of them turned to stare at Jane, who paled and trembled slightly. 

Joe stood up slowly. His legs felt shaky after a long swim. He was definitely exhausted and ready to sleep like the dead. But first he had to take care of something. 

"Do you know anything about this, Jane?" Shane asked levelly. 

Jane backed slowly. "I – I didn't mean anything to happen to him," she stammered. 

"What did you do to him?" Frank asked through gritted teeth, forcing himself to be cool. 

"She knocked me out and left me stranded on an island," Joe spoke up before Jane could reply. 

"What?" Shane shouted at Jane. "What were you trying to do? Left him for dead?" 

"I d-didn't leave him there," Jane tried to explain, but in her nervous state her words came out in a jumbled rush. "It – I mean, his idea…and he wouldn't tell – have to cover for him…" Her voice faltered as she looked on helplessly. 

"You're not making any sense," Joe said in frustration. 

"I think we should all be calm and sit down in my office, and listen to what she has to say," Shane suggested. "We're acting like a pack of wolves waiting to pounce on a meal." 

When they were already in Shane's office a few minutes later, Joe couldn't help feeling relieved to be sitting down. His legs, arms, and body felt like they would crumble to pieces any second. He needed dry clothes badly, and his skin was wrinkled. 

"Okay, Jane, start telling us what's going on," Shane prompted after he was seated behind his desk. He looked at Jane levelly. She was sitting on a chair right next to Joe. 

"Maybe I should start first," Joe suggested. "I caught Jim sneaking out of your office, while you weren't here this afternoon," he told Shane. He also added how he was knocked out and woke up on an empty island. 

"How did you get here?" Frank asked. "Don't tell me you swam all the way from there?" he asked incredulously. 

"I thought of sending out a smoke signal, but the wood was too damp. So, that left me with the final alternative. I was lucky Verin Island is quite near," Joe admitted. "Almost cost me a new skin, though," he added with a wry grin. 

Frank shook his head. He couldn't understand how his brother could find humor in all this. But he couldn't help noticing Shane, who was frowning when Joe mentioned that Jim had broken into his office. 

"Did you notice if Jim had taken anything?" Shane asked Joe. 

"I couldn't say. I didn't see him taking out anything, though," he answered wearily. 

"Did you lock your office before you went out?" Frank asked Shane. 

"I always do," he replied. 

"But it's not secure enough. I thought Neil is an expert in security," Frank pointed out with a curious look at the big silent man. 

Joe noticed the Neil's jaw clenched tight in anger. 

"What are you implying, kid?" Neil roared, looking as if he was about to eat Frank alive. 

Neil's face had turned bright red. Maybe it was the effect of the long swim, but Joe could almost see Neil's head slowly morphing into a giant red tomato. 

"What are you laughing at?" Neil turned to Joe, glaring. 

"Nothing," Joe mumbled, rubbing his eyes. Great, now I'm starting to hallucinate, he thought wearily. 

"All right, enough everyone. We haven't listened to Jane's explanation," Shane reminded them sternly. 

All eyes turned to Jane. 

"Okay, I'm sorry about knocking out Mr. MacAllister," she began nervously, but her voice was a bit steady. 

"Call me Joe. I feel old when you call me that, maybe not for Frank, though," Joe put in, with a slight grin. 

"Go on, Jane," Frank said, ignoring his brother's remark. 

"Anyway, I already knew Jim was in here before Joe came this afternoon," Jane went on. 

Frank glanced at Shane. There didn't seem to be any reaction from him. He just stared at Jane in stony silence. 

"So, when Joe was heading to the emergency exit, I was worried that he might caught Jim," she went on. "But he did, I panicked and I grabbed the nearest thing I could find, I think it was a big hardcover book. So, I hit him with that." 

"And how did Joe land on an island?" Frank asked. 

"Jim did that. When Joe was unconscious, he told me to go back to my work, and he'd take care of Joe. He just wanted Joe to be out of the picture temporarily, and he had hinted about going to an island. I didn't really know where he was taking him," she answered. 

"Why were you helping him?" Shane asked curiously. 

Jane gulped. She hesitated for a second before answering. "If I tell you, would you promise not to tell anyone?" she asked timidly. 

Shane gave a thoughtful frown before he nodded. "All right," he said. 

She looked at the Hardys, and Neil questioningly. 

"Don't worry, you can trust them," Shane assured her. 

Jane looked slightly relieved. "I – I've committed a crime before," she confessed. "I mixed with the wrong crowd, and I ended up stealing a car. I was caught by the police easily 'cos I was so nervous doing it the first time. I lied to you during our interview. I'd thought you wouldn't offer me a job if you found out I've got a record," she told Shane, looking worried for his reaction. 

"And what's this got to do with Jim?" Shane asked. His face was still a mask. 

"Somehow, Jim found out about it. He told me if I pay him a little contribution, he wouldn't tell a soul," she replied, looking down at her hands. 

"That's a blackmail," Joe stated. For some reason, he couldn't help feeling sorry for Jane. 

"And you helped him so that he wouldn't tell anyone about your past," Shane concluded, looking at Jane. 

"Yes." 

"Did you also try to sabotage this place?" Frank asked. 

"Sabotage?" Jane looked up in surprise. "No, I didn't know about any sabotage." 

Frank regarded her answer carefully before deciding that she was telling the truth. 

"Are you going to fire me, Mr. Unterhauser?" Jane asked her boss anxiously. 

"We have to discuss about your future next time. Right now, I want to have a word with Jim," Shane replied guardedly. He turned to Neil. "Go to Jim's room and tell him I want to see him right now," he told Neil. 

Neil nodded silently and left the room. They all waited in tensed silence. When Neil came back a few minutes later, he was alone. 

"Where's Jim?" Shane demanded. 

"He's not in his room," Neil replied shortly. "His door was unlocked." 

Shane muttered something under his breath. "I guess I'll have to talk to him tomorrow. There's nothing we can do here now," Shane said. "I'm sure Joe is very tired," he added with a concern glance toward Joe. 

Joe just nodded, as he tried to stifle his yawn. 

All of them reluctantly left the room. When the brothers reached their room, Joe immediately took a shower and changed into dry clothes. He immediately fell asleep as soon as he dropped on his bed. 

Frank was lying on his bed and staring at the ceiling in the darkness. He was still thinking deeply about the case. What was Jim doing in Shane's office? And what was his connection with Tara Matteo? Was he blackmailing her, too? Somehow, he couldn't picture Tara Matteo giving money to Jim. Frank lost in his thoughts for a moment before he drifted off to sleep. 

A scraping sound from the window woke Frank from his sleep a few hours later. His eyes went to the window. The moonlight helped illuminating the darkness, but there didn't seem to be someone or something outside. He listened again wondering if he was dreaming. When nothing happened, he closed his eyes and started to sleep, again. 

A black shadow of a person suddenly appeared in front of the window. He walked over stealthily toward Frank's bed. In his hand was a syringe. Then slowly, he lifted his hand and poised to plunge the needle into Frank's arm.


	9. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8**

"AACHOOO!!" 

Frank's eyes flew opened when he heard his brother's sneeze. His eyes grew wider when he saw someone else in the room – standing beside his bed! The man was holding something in his hand. With quick reflexes, Frank's hand shot up and grabbed the man's wrist before whatever the man was holding didn't touch him. And for extra measure, he kicked the figure right toward his midsection. 

The figure grunted and landed backward straight toward Joe's bed. The impact made Joe lifted his head sleepily. 

"Wha…What's going on?" he mumbled. His eyes were still closed. He didn't seem to notice someone else on his bed. 

"There's an intruder in our room!" Frank cried as he approached the figure. 

The person's face was covered with black ski mask. And he was pulling out something else from his pocket. A glint from the moonlight reflected against the metal. Frank's blood went cold when he saw an odd-looking dagger with curved blade. The man got up and lunged at Frank with the dagger. 

Frank sidestepped from the attack, but his left leg caught against a tangled of clothes on the floor and he almost lost his balance. The blade grazed his right shoulder. Frank winced slightly when he felt the prickled of the sharp edge of the blade. 

"Get away from my brother!" Joe, who was now fully awake, shouted and grabbed the man from behind. He couldn't help noticing the man was packed with muscles. He turned the man around and punched him right across the man's face. 

The man didn't flinch. He reacted as if he was hit by nothing more than a pillow. With a growl, he pushed Joe away and dashed toward the door. Frank rushed over to Joe and helped him got up. 

"Are you all right?" he asked Joe anxiously. 

"Yeah, but are you all right?" Joe asked back. He rubbed his rear, wincing. He had landed on the floor harder than he had thought. 

"It's just a scratch," he assured his brother quickly. "Come on, let's get him before he got away!" 

Both of them rushed out of their room. The hallway was still lit by soft lights. There was no sign of the intruder. Everything was quiet. 

"You go left and I'll go right," Frank told his brother. Joe nodded, and with that both of them headed in opposite directions. Joe checked every door in the hallway – all of them were locked tight. Then he checked the emergency exit and descended down the stairs since his room was on the highest floor. There seemed to be no sign of life when he checked the floor below and the ground floor. He even checked outside the building. 

The night was windy, and only the moonlight helped him to see things around him. The cold night air made him shiver. When he glanced down, he suddenly realized he was only clad in a pair of boxers. Yikes! I'd better work fast, he thought, feeling conscious of his current state. 

After a few minutes searching the area, he couldn't find any sign of the intruder. Sighing heavily, he went back to his room. His brother was already inside the room. 

"Did you find him?" Joe asked as he shut the door behind him. 

Frank shook his head. "He must have hidden somewhere. But it's too dark to see clearly," he said. He rubbed his injured shoulder. 

"You should put a bandage on that," Joe said and looked closely at the wound. "I think I saw an aid kit in the bathroom. I'll go and get it." 

A few minutes later, Frank's wound was already neatly bandaged. "I can't understand why someone wanted to kill you," Joe said as he climbed on his bed. "You're usually not…um, 'tasty' enough to be picked by criminals." 

His brother gave a glare. "Both of us almost get killed," Frank corrected seriously. He checked every doors and windows in the room to make sure they were locked. Then he slipped under the covers on his bed. 

"But I was left on an island. If Jim wanted me to have an instant death, he wouldn't leave me stranded there," Joe pointed out. "I don't think it was Jim who attacked you. Jim's too slim." 

"Jim could have hired an accomplice," Frank pointed out. "Maybe someone like Tara Matteo's bodyguard," he suggested. 

Joe sighed. "This is all so confusing," he admitted. "I'd feel better if we discuss this in the morning. I'm still sore from the swimming." 

Frank couldn't agree more. A few minutes later, both of them fell asleep. 

*** 

Joe felt worse the next morning when he woke up. Every muscle on his body was still sore. He sneezed a few times before he headed to the bathroom. When he came out a few minutes later, he was surprised to see Frank, still sleeping in his bed. Usually, at this hour, Frank would have woken up by now. 

"Hey, big brother. It's time to wake up," Joe said cheerfully, shaking Frank by the shoulders. "You're making me feel weird. This is supposed to be your job – to wake me up." 

Frank stirred from his sleep. He grudgingly struggled to a sitting position. "What time is it now?" Frank mumbled hoarsely. He felt slightly dizzy, and his head felt like it weighed ten times heavier than it should be. 

"Nine o'clock. Are you all right?" Joe asked when he saw Frank massaging the sides of his head. 

"Yeah," Frank said. "Just having a bit of headache. Maybe I slept too long." 

"So, what's the plan for today?" Joe asked. 

Frank took a moment to think. "Talk to Jim. We also still need to talk to Mr. Fisher. Maybe he knows how Bianco's assets were liquidated," he told Joe. 

"Bianco? How did he got to do with this?" Joe asked in surprise. 

Frank related to Joe about his findings at the library yesterday afternoon. 

"Man, this is getting interesting," Joe commented when Frank had finished. "Where are we going to have breakfast today?" he asked. 

Frank shook his head. "I don't feel like eating at Inzell," he replied. He couldn't understand why, but he seemed to have lost his appetite. "Do you think you could go there alone and bring something to eat here?" he asked. 

"Sure," Joe replied, slightly surprised. "Are you sure you're all right? You look a bit pale," he studied Frank carefully. 

"Yes, yes, I'm fine. Now, go and get us some food. We've already wasted half of the morning," Frank urged, slipping out of his bed. 

"All right," Joe shrugged. "I'll be back before you know it," he told Frank before he walked out of the room. 

When Joe arrived downstairs, he stopped over to see Shane. Since Jane wasn't at her desk, he just walked to Shane's office. He knocked on the door. A muffled reply told him to come inside. 

Shane was at his desk typing something on his laptop. 

"How are you this morning?" Shane asked, looking up from his laptop. 

"Pretty sore, but otherwise I'm okay," Joe replied. "I didn't see Jane. Have you decided to fire her?" he asked. 

"No. I told her to take some time off before I'll have another word with her," he replied. "Where's Frank?" he asked. 

"He just woke up," Joe replied. "I'm not surprised, considering what had happened last night." 

"Yeah, he was very worried about you," Shane nodded. 

"Not that one. Something happened last night," Joe said and reported to Shane about the intruder. 

Shane looked surprise, before turning into concern. "Are you both all right?" he asked. 

Joe nodded. "But Frank got stabbed. Luckily, it was just a graze." 

"This is terrible. I must talk to Neil to beef up security. It's getting pretty dangerous," Shane replied. "I never would have thought the sabotage case would turn this deadly." 

"Nobody could have known it would happen like this," Joe assured him. "What about Jim? Have you talked to him, yet?" he asked, changing the subject. 

"No, he's still not here. I'm afraid he might have run away. His room has been cleaned out," Shane said with a disgusted look. 

"He could be the one who tried to sabotage this place," Joe pointed out, frustrated that their main suspect had escaped. He told Shane how he and Frank had seen Jim with Tara Matteo yesterday. 

Shane frowned thoughtfully when he heard the report. "Maybe I'll have a talk with Ms. Matteo," he suddenly said. 

"You'd think she'd talk to you?" Joe asked in surprise. 

"It doesn't hurt to try." 

"Tell us if you've found out anything from her," Joe said. "I've got to get some breakfast," he added. 

"I will," Shane promised before Joe walked out of the room. 

Joe bought some chicken and cheese sandwiches, and a couple of hot chocolate from a café in Inzell. As he was about to head out of the place with the wrapped food, he caught sight of Jane, sitting alone at one of the tables, with her back facing him. Instinctively, Joe headed to her direction. 

"Hi, there," Joe said when he stood beside her table. 

Jane looked up in surprise. Joe could see there were dark circles under her eyes, indicating that she hadn't much sleep last night. 

"Hi," she said quietly. 

"May I sit down?" Joe asked. 

Jane shrugged. Joe took it as a yes and sat down beside her. 

"Are you all right?" Joe asked, starting the conversation. 

"Considering that I'm on a verge of an unemployment, it's been pretty good, Mr. Hardy," Jane replied, a little sarcastically. "Yes, I know who you are all this time," she said when she saw Joe's surprised look. 

"So, you were pretending you don't know us?" Joe prompted carefully. 

Jane looked slightly embarrassed. "I had overheard Mr. Unterhauser talking on the phone in his office a few weeks ago. I'd heard he wanted to hire a detective named Hardy," she explained. "When I heard the name, I panicked. I'd thought Mr. Unterhauser had found out about my past, and wanted to ask the detective to check on me. I even told Jim about this. He was even interested when he heard it." 

I can understand why, Joe thought. "Do you always eavesdrop other people's conversation?" he asked with a roguish grin. 

She blushed furiously. "Not really, I just happened to be there," she mumbled. 

"Uh-huh," Joe nodded with a knowing look. "You were lucky Shane didn't find out about this." 

"I know. I'm in deep enough trouble already," Jane agreed. "I'm really sorry about yesterday," she told him after a long pause. 

Joe waved off her apology. "Don't worry about it. You're forgiven," he assured her. "Jim has no right to blackmail you like that." Then after a thought he asked her, "Did you hear anything strange last night?" 

Jane looked puzzled. "Hear what?" she asked. 

"Like someone running outside your room?" 

"No, I don't think so. Why?" 

Joe quickly told her about the intruder. Jane looked shocked when she listened to him. "Has anything like that ever happened?" he asked her. 

"No, this is the first time I've heard it," she replied. "Is your brother all right?" 

"Yeah," he answered. "I've got to go now. Frank's probably waiting for his breakfast," he added. After a wave of goodbye, he left the place and headed back to Verin Island. 

When Joe entered his room, his brother was talking on the phone while writing something on a notepad. 

"All right, thank you, Mr. Fisher," Frank was saying before placing down the receiver. 

"Here's your breakfast," Joe placed the paper bag on his brother's bed. "Was that Mr. Fisher, the estate agent?" he asked curiously, as he flopped down on his bed. He noticed his brother had showered and changed, but what had made him surprised was that Frank continued lying on the bed with the covers pulled up to his neck. Instinctively, he felt something was wrong. 

"Yeah," Frank nodded and picked up the bag. "I asked him about Bianco's properties. He told me after Bianco's arrest, none of properties were claimed, so they were auctioned by Blake and Bradley Liquidators. That was how Mr. Fisher got the island," he continued explaining. 

"Hmm, there's nothing suspicious in that," Joe commented. 

"But I've made a few calls and found out who had bought most of Bianco's properties. It might be nothing, but you might need the information just in case," Frank shrugged. 

"Frank, are you all right?" Joe asked him, trying not to look worried. 

"I'm fine," his brother assured him. "Just a little headache. I think I must be running on a fever," he told his brother. Ever since he woke up until he had finished his shower, his headache seemed to get worse, and his body felt cold despite the hot summer weather. He had to stay under the covers. The warmth of the bed comforted him. He couldn't remember the last time he had a fever. It felt like ages ago. I must have caught the virus from somewhere, he thought. 

"Do you need a doctor?" Joe continued asking. He'd never seen his brother like this before. 

"No, I'm sure it's just a common fever," Frank told him. He placed the breakfast aside, suddenly losing his appetite. "I want to check something from the Internet," he said and climbed out of his bed. 

Suddenly, his world started spinning as Frank stood up. His head was pounding, and his breathing became labored. His world turned black as he collapsed to the floor. 


	10. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER 9**

Frank stirred, and opened his eyes slowly against the glare of lights above him. He felt weak and tired. He tried to lift his head, but it felt too heavy. He noticed he was attached with IV tubes on his arms. 

"Frank?" a familiar voice said worriedly from beside him. Joe's face appeared above Frank.

"W-What happened?" Frank whispered hoarsely. His throat felt dry. "Where am I?"

"You're in Inzell Community Hospital," Joe told him. "Shane's outside. He helped me to get you here."

Frank closed his eyes, trying to think carefully. Everything was jumbled. "I don't understand. Am I _that _sick?" he murmured.

At the moment, a fifty-year-old man in a white coat entered the room.

"Hello, Mr. Hardy, I see that you've woken up. That's a good sign," the man said. "I'm Dr. Nilson." 

"I don't understand…" Frank said weakly.

"I've done some blood tests. I hate to say this…but you've been poisoned, Mr. Hardy," Dr. Nilson told him grimly, and hesitantly.

"P-Poison?" his voice faltered. He tried to sit up, but his head felt awfully dizzy, and heavy.

"Whoa…Slow down. You're still weak," he cautioned him, pushing him back to the bed.

"What? How?" Frank asked, but he had a dreadful feeling it made sense considering his current condition.

"That's what I'd like to know," Dr. Nilson told him curiously. "We still can't determine the type of poison – not because of the very tiny dosage in your blood system, but because it's an unknown type," he continued. 

"How do you know it's a poison, and not some kind of virus?" Joe asked. His face paled slightly when he heard the news. If the poison was unidentified, the chances of finding the antidote were zilch. 

For some unknown reason, the doctor looked around him carefully before closing the door. Frank and Joe looked puzzled by his manner. When Dr. Nilson turned to them, his voice turned low. "I've found out this poison has been used before," he told them quietly. 

"Where?" Joe demanded. 

"When I did Mr. Matteo's autopsy," Dr. Nilson answered grimly. 

"You mean, Zach Matteo?" Frank asked in surprise. 

"I thought he had a heart failure," Joe added. 

"Ms. Matteo wanted this thing to be a secret from the press," Dr. Nilson told them. "Mr. Matteo did have a heart failure – as a result of the final stage from the poisoning." 

Frank and Joe exchanged uneasy looks. "Why are you telling us? And how come you happened to know about the autopsy?" Joe asked, a little suspicious. 

"I happened to be the only medical examiner on Inzell Island. This is a small place – not like New York," he explained. "I'd asked Ms. Matteo about her father's condition before he died. Now, maybe I can confirm it's the same poison by comparing Mr. Matteo's symptoms with Mr. Hardy's. Then maybe I can try to get an antidote – maybe not the exact one, but something that can weaken the poison." 

"So, if you can't find the antidote, how long does it take for the poison to …" Frank found himself unable to continue the sentence. 

"Maybe you can start by telling me what has happened," Dr. Nilson suggested. "Have you experienced any occasional dizziness, headaches, and blackouts lately?" he asked. 

"Just this morning," Frank replied with dread. 

Dr. Nilson nodded thoughtfully. He continued asking a series of questions before he made his conclusion. "Yes, you have similar symptoms like Mr. Matteo had before he died. That would mean, it might take about forty-eight to seventy-two hours before the poison reaches its final stage." 

"So, I will die as if I'm having a heart failure?" Frank asked, surprised that his voice was calm. 

"Yes," the doctor replied grimly. "But we still don't know when the poison was administered into your blood," he reminded them. "Your brother doesn't appear to have been poisoned. I've done a blood sample on him. Just have to give him some antibiotics for his mild cold. So, something must have happened to _you_," he said turning to Frank. 

Frank tried to think carefully the things he did yesterday. The intruder! The thought suddenly hit him. _Whoever it was, the person tried to put something in me before I stopped him._ "Actually, something did happen last night," he said out loud, and told the doctor about last night's incident. "That would mean the dagger must have been laced with poison so that no one would get suspicious if I suddenly die," he concluded. 

Joe suddenly banged the wall with his fist. The thought about someone with an intention to kill his brother, and succeeding it made him angry. He vowed to find the responsible person and made him pay for it. He couldn't face the thought of living without his brother. 

Frank glanced at his brother worriedly. He knew Joe was taking this very hard. He could understand what Joe was feeling. He knew he felt the same way if something happened to Joe as well. Slowly, Frank turned to Dr. Nilson. 

"Can I be released now?" he asked. 

"Frank, you can't be serious! You're not well," Joe protested. 

"Nonsense. If Mr. Matteo could play tennis before he died, then I'm not going to be stuck here waiting for the antidote," Frank reasoned. "If we find out who did this, we might find out the type of poison, and possibly the antidote." 

"That doesn't give us much time, does it?" Joe retorted. 

"Yes, you can go, if you're not feeling the headache," Dr. Nilson told Frank. "In the meantime, I'll try hard to prepare a possible antidote, but I won't say it's going to be smooth sailing. I'll let you know if there's any development." He helped Frank to pull out the tubes from his arms. 

"Thanks," Frank replied, and carefully climbed out of the bed. His dizziness seemed to have gone for the moment. 

"Please sign the form at the counter before you go," Dr. Nilson said before he went out. 

There was a tensed silence before Joe spoke up. "So, do we tell Shane about this?" he asked. 

Frank shook his head. "I don't want him to know. If we keep this a secret, we might find out the person who poisoned me." 

"Only the person who did this knows about it," Joe said tightly. 

They met Shane outside the room. "So, what is wrong with Frank?" he asked in concern. 

"Just a little fever," Frank replied casually. 

"I'm glad it's not that serious," Shane replied. 

You don't know the rest of it, Frank thought grimly. He noticed Joe's jaw clenched tight in frustrated anger. Frank signed the release form before they walked out. They didn't speak further until they reached Verin Island. 

Joe felt numb as he, Frank, and Shane walked back to the resort. He wasn't sure how to feel anymore – everything was just a mixture of anger, frustration, helpless, and fear. His brother seemed to look calm and composed, but underneath Joe could tell he was probably counting the hours before he – _Stop!_ Joe ordered himself sternly. Frank is not going to die, he chided himself silently. _He's not. He's not. He's not._ He repeated the words in his head, each time growing with fierce determination. He would make sure of that. If Frank were too weak to do the investigation, then everything would be depended on Joe. 

All of the sudden, he felt the responsibility that he had to carry on his shoulders. Joe panicked slightly when he thought about the possibilities that he couldn't solve the case, or finding the responsible person for the poisoning, or the antidote on time. All these must required some deep brain logical thinking, and this was something more of Frank's department. Then, I'm going to try to think like Frank if I have to, Joe thought, trying to shake away the doubt and fear inside him. 

"I'm heading to the construction site to check on things," Shane announced, breaking the boys' thoughts. "Do you want to join me?" he asked them. 

The brothers shook their head. 

"No, thanks, we have a lot to do," Joe replied. "When are you meeting Ms. Matteo?" he asked. 

"She'll be in New York all day, but I've made an appointment to meet her this evening," Shane explained. 

"I guess we'll have to wait then," Joe said, hiding his frustration. Just when the investigation was starting to get time-critical, every suspect seemed to be slowly disappearing. 

"See you guys later," Shane told them. "Take care of yourself, Frank," he said, patting Frank's shoulder comfortingly. Joe's eyes landed on a ring on Shane's finger. Somehow he had a peculiar feeling he had seen that before, but he couldn't remember where. 

"Yeah," Frank replied slowly before Shane left. Then he turned to Joe. "What was that all about?" he asked. "Why is Shane meeting Ms. Matteo?" 

Joe had forgotten about mentioning this to Frank, since he was distracted by Frank's sickness this morning. He quickly told his brother about his conversation with Shane, and also added about his conversation with Jane. 

"So, Jim and Jane already knew about our identity before we arrived," Frank concluded thoughtfully. "That would mean one of them must have sent us the warning note." 

"What about Neil?" Joe asked. "Do you think he could also have known about us? After all, he seems to be on good terms with Shane." 

"It's hard to say," Frank admitted. "Shane looks like as if he trusts this guy. I'm going to assume that Neil knew about it, too." 

"Great, now we suddenly have a lot of potential murderers," Joe commented sarcastically. 

"I hope it wouldn't turn to murder," Frank added quietly. 

"Frank, I didn't mean anything by my comment," Joe started saying, feeling guilty. 

Frank waved him off. "Don't worry, I know you didn't mean it," he assured his brother. 

"Do you want to head back to our room?" Joe asked his brother. 

Frank shook his head. "I think it's time we have a look around. Maybe we find some clues about our intruder," he replied. He was starting to feel the headache, but he decided to ignore it, even though it was hard. 

They walked around the small island, searching the grounds around the building to find any clues of the intruder. They worked for almost an hour, but the result was a disappointment. 

They were walking along the edge of the woods, when something moving behind one of the trees caught Frank's eyes. 

"Somebody's watching us," Frank reported quietly to his brother. 

"Where?" Joe glanced around him. 

"There, near the bushes, in the woods – on your left," Frank said. 

Joe turned to that direction. Sure he enough, when he spotted a figure huddling behind one of the trees. It could be their intruder! Joe thought with a slight hope. 

Then before the brothers could do anything, the figure dashed deeper into the woods. Without hesitation, they ran after the man, too. 

"Hey, I think it's Jim Owen!" Joe exclaimed when he managed to get a look at the figure. 

"Then, it's important we catch him right away," Frank replied. "You go to the left and I'll go this way." 

Joe nodded, and ran to his left. He knew there would be better chances to get Jim if both of them were separated. 

Frank rushed through the woods, and at the same time, trying to avoid overgrown roots and branches that were spreading out of the trees. He heard sounds of footsteps running ahead of him. He realized Jim might be somewhere in front, but his view was partly hidden from the hanging leaves, and branches to confirm it. As suddenly as it came, Frank was hit again by a sudden dizziness and headache. _No, no, no, not now!_ The effect made him felt disoriented by his surroundings. He stopped, and glanced around him. _Which way?_ He thought frantically.

He whipped around when he heard a faint sound somewhere to his right. A flash of movement far ahead caught his eyes. Frank immediately sprinted into the woods blindly, and ran as fast as he could. His headache became annoying, and he found himself stumbled a few times against thick roots that were snaking all over the ground. His heart was pounding loudly in his ears, and his breathing grew ragged. He wiped the sweat that trickled into his eyes with his hand.

The faint sound of running footsteps ahead of him told him he needed to move faster. He ran blindly, not knowing whether he was running in circles. Blackness almost enveloped him, but he forced it to go away. Got to move on, he commanded himself. He tripped over another root. This time he couldn't hold himself, and fell to the ground. His head hit against a tree trunk with a thud, and fell down. He lay there on the ground, unmoving.


	11. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER 10**

Joe Hardy knew he was slowly gaining on Jim Owen. The man was starting to tire and slowing down. And when Jim was just a few feet away from him, Joe made a huge leap and gave the man a flying tackle around the waist. 

Both of them tumbled to the ground and struggled furiously. Jim began throwing punches toward Joe, and Joe had no choice but to block the attacks. 

"What do you want from me, kid?" Jim snarled, trying to pin Joe to the ground. 

Joe clenched his teeth and snapped. "I want to know why you poisoned my brother!" 

Jim looked confused for a moment, but the grip of his hands around Joe's neck still remained firm, pressing Joe to the ground. "I don't know what you're talking about. You're barking up the wrong tree!" 

Joe butted his head against Jim, which took the man by surprise. His hands released around Joe's neck. Joe took the advantage and pinned him to the ground. 

"And why are you hiding, and running away when you saw us?" Joe demanded, angrily. He knew he had to keep his cool, but the thought of this man who had left him stranded on an island, and possibly who had poisoned his brother were more than Joe could take. He grabbed the collar of the man's shirt and shook him in rage. 

"Why should I tell you? You're such a good detective," Jim sneered. 

Joe clenched his fist, feeling an urge to blow him across the face. But he held on. "You sent the warning note, did you?" Joe asked him on a hunch. 

"So? I had to keep you two away from this island." Jim glared at him. 

"Yeah, so that you still can continue with your little blackmail operation," Joe scoffed. "You didn't want us to find that out." 

A look of surprise registered on Jim's face. "You're not so dumb after all," was all he could say. "I bet that woman told you that! She's too afraid of everything," he growled. 

"And what about Tara Matteo? Did you blackmail her, too? I saw her the other day with you," Joe continued asking. He knew it wasn't really the truth, but he had to lure Jim to tell him everything. 

Jim gave a harsh laugh. "I've got better profit from her than blackmailing. She's more interested in Shane's activities than she let on," he said with a sly malicious grin. 

His answer hit Joe instantly. "You were spying for her!" he exclaimed. "That would explain why you were sneaking in Shane's office." 

"You're too smart for your own good, you know that?" Jim suddenly shouted at Joe. 

Joe winced inwardly by the piercing shout in his ears. "Who else are you blackmailing, Jim? Is it Neil? Shane?" Joe asked, shaking the man. His eyes flashed angrily. But he couldn't get further answers from Jim when the man suddenly flung a fistful of sand right toward Joe's face. 

"Yow!" Joe instinctively shut his eyes. His hands frantically brushed the sand from his eyes and face. He was barely aware of the sound of running footsteps, growing fainter and fainter. By the time he could open his eyes, Jim was already far ahead, reaching the shoreline. He looked on helplessly as Jim climbed into a motorboat and left the island. 

Joe muttered something under his breath, kicked the sand at his feet in anger, and walked back to where he came from. He had to tell Frank about this. But where was Frank? He suddenly thought worriedly. He hadn't seen the sight of his brother since they entered the woods. 

"Frank!" he shouted. 

Except from the sound of the waves, there was silence. He tried again, but nothing. He tried to shake away his fear that something might have happened to Frank. 

Joe jogged back to where they had been before, and tried to retrace the trail that his brother had taken. He surveyed the grounds carefully as he walked. It took him about fifteen minutes when he suddenly caught sight of a pair of jeans-clad-legs near some bushes. 

"Frank!" Joe exclaimed and rushed over. His heart almost stopped when he saw Frank lying on the ground. For a horrifying moment, he thought his brother was dead, until he saw the slow rise and fall on Frank's chest. He's still breathing, Joe thought in huge relief. 

He kneeled down and noticed a small bump on the side of Frank's head. He tried waking up his brother. Frank stirred a little, and mumbled something incoherently. 

"Come on, Frank. Get up," Joe urged, shaking Frank lightly. "You're starting to scare me with all these blackouts." 

"C-Cold," his brother replied faintly. 

Joe instantly knew Frank was having one of the poisoning effects. "Don't worry, Frank. I'm here, and I'll take care of you," he assured his brother, and carried Frank over his shoulder. 

*** 

The phone rang after Joe had tucked Frank to bed. He quickly picked up the receiver, not wanting the noise to disturb his brother more. 

"Joe, it's me," Mr. Hardy said after Joe answered. 

"Dad, what's up?" he asked. He wondered if he should tell his father about Frank. He didn't want his parents to get worried, but what if he and Frank couldn't find the antidote? His parents wouldn't forgive him for that. 

"I just wanted to tell you boys to be careful," his father replied. 

"What do you mean, Dad?" Joe asked in alarm when he heard the grim note in his father's voice. 

"Is Frank with you now?" his father suddenly asked. 

"He – He's asleep," he stammered slightly. 

"At this hour?" his father asked incredulously, with a hint of suspicion in his voice. 

"Uh – " 

Mr. Hardy suddenly drew a large intake of breath. "Joe, tell me what's wrong. Something's happened to him, isn't it?" he asked worriedly. "He didn't get…poisoned, did he?" 

Joe could only stare the phone in nervous amazement. Was his father a psychic or something? He didn't think he was that transparent. Before Joe knew it, he was already spilling everything to his father about the case, and Frank's poisoning. 

"I'm so afraid, Dad," Joe confessed after he had finished explaining. "I don't know what to do now. How can we be sure that the person who did this hasn't run away, yet?" 

"I'm not so sure if I were you," Mr. Hardy said grimly. His voice shook a little. "The person who poisoned Sidney is probably the same one who did it to Frank, and Mr. Matteo." 

"I know the poisoning leaves the same effect, but how did you know?" Joe asked in puzzlement. 

"We found a suspicious sticker stuck on the break pedal of Sidney's squad car," he reported. "And he also had been doing a lot of patrolling around East Graverock before he died." 

"So?" Joe still looked confused. 

"From what you have found so far in your case, there might be a possible link to Bianco. The sticker was usually used by Bianco to label his drug products. And this sticker that we've found is _new_. Not to mention that East Graverock used to be Bianco's territory," he explained. "It's possible someone's out there is distributing Bianco's drug, and at the same time going out for revenge." 

"But you told me last time there are no more of the Biancos or his cronies," Joe pointed out. 

"I know, but remember that Mr. Bianco's top aide is still on the loose. We still don't know what has happened to him," Mr. Hardy pointed out. "And I remember Bianco vowed to get even with the people who had destroyed his life. He said that after he was given the guilty verdict." 

"But why now?" Joe asked. "If this guy wants a revenge, how come you and Chief Peterson are the only one affected?" 

"There's more, Joe," Mr. Hardy replied grimly. "Agent Demler, I think you remember him, lost his daughter three months ago. She died the same way as Sidney – in her sleep. But the thought about poisoning that time was unlikely that they dismissed it as a natural cause. I've also checked some of other guys who also involved in the case – a few of them have lost their sons or daughters the past few months. It seemed insignificant at first, but when we checked deeper, we're sure there's a possible connection. Looks like he's been pretty busy getting revenge." 

"This guy must be a loony. Could Bianco have escaped prison?" Joe asked. 

"No, I've checked. He was supposed to be released this year, possibly the end of this month." 

"Was?" 

"He died six months before he was released." 

"Oh," was all Joe could say. "So, someone's been carrying out Bianco's wish. I'm going to be the next one, right?" he asked, forcing his voice to sound steady. "After all, this person was probably planning to kill two birds with one stone the other night before it backfired." 

"I think I'd better go to Verin Island and check on you two," Mr. Hardy said firmly. 

"That's not necessary, Dad. I don't want anything to happen to you," Joe protested. 

"Nothing's going to happen to me. This person is going after both of you, not me. Both of you are the only sons I have, and I intend not to lose both of you – period!" 

"What about Chief Peterson?" Joe reminded him. "Aren't you just going to leave him?" 

Joe heard his father sighed. He knew his father was torn between his responsibility for his best friend, and his sons. "I'll be asking your mother to check on Sam. She's coming over to New York possibly tomorrow. Sometimes she knows things better than I do," Mr. Hardy replied. 

Joe continued protesting a few minutes, but he knew it was a futile attempt. His father was still adamant about his decision. After Joe hung up the phone, a knock came on the door before Joe could gather his thoughts. 

Cautiously, Joe turned the knob and swung the door open. Shane was standing outside the door. 

"Hi, Joe. I just stop by to see if Frank's getting better before I go," Shane told him, looking concern. 

"He's still sleeping," Joe said. "Where are you going?" he asked. 

"I have a meeting with my other employees in New York, and after that, I have to go straight to Inzell for my appointment with Ms. Matteo. So, I'll be out all day," Shane replied. 

"Other employees?" Joe asked in surprise. 

"Nothing to do with the resort. I have my company office in New York, too," Shane assured him. "So, what's happening with the case?" he asked suddenly. 

Joe immediately told Shane about their encounter with Jim Owen. He told Shane what he had found out from Jim, but he carefully omitted the part that might be related to Frank's poisoning. 

Shane frowned when he heard the report. "Now, I'm seriously considering firing Jim," he growled. "Spying for Matteo is something I can't tolerate." 

"But we really have to talk to him first before you fire him," Joe put in quickly. "There are a lot of things that doesn't add up." 

"All right," Shane sighed. Then he glanced at his wristwatch. "I hope I'll be able to catch the ferry at Inzell before it leaves." 

"Then I won't keep you long," Joe said. After saying goodbyes, Joe closed the door behind him. He stood there for a moment, trying to think his next move. He wished Frank was awake to give him some suggestions on the case, but Joe didn't want to disturb him. His eyes landed on Frank, who was sleeping peacefully. He blinked back his tears that suddenly formed in his eyes. What am I doing? He chided himself after a minute. He was acting as if he had accepted Frank's fate. No, he won't think about that. Find the antidote first, he commanded himself sternly. Joe started pacing impatiently around the room. 

_Think! Every second counts in this case_. He could almost hear the clock ticking...tick-tock…tick-tock…slowly draining Frank's life away… 

_Come on! Come on! Think faster! Why can't I think now?_

"Argh!!" Joe growled, pulling out his hair in frustration. He was still amazed at how Frank never grown a single white hair for this entire deep thinking stuff. It drove him nuts. Thinking needed a lot of patience, and Joe Hardy was never in good terms with the word 'patience'. 

He tried to imagine himself in Frank's shoes. What would Frank do if he were in this situation? Joe couldn't help giving a silent chuckle. His brother would rely on his good old laptop to get information, of course. Without wasting time, Joe reached under Frank's bed and pulled the laptop out. 

When he had booted up the laptop, he began accessing the database just like the way Frank had done. For the first time, he was glad he had watched Frank using the laptop when he tried to find information. Joe tried to remember the name of Bianco's close assistant. It had been long time ago when his father told him about Bianco's case. If he would think logically, he would start searching through Bianco's profile. 

It took him almost half an hour to find what he was looking for. His mouth hung open in surprise when he saw the picture of Bianco's assistant. He knew he should have noticed it earlier. It was obvious from the name itself – and he felt like kicking himself for it. The man was Neil Sterling. 


	12. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER 11**

_Neil Sterling! That bull! Wait till I get my hands on him._ Joe fumed silently, unaware that his fists were clenched in anger, as he continued glaring at the monitor. He also learned something more about Kurt Bianco, too. He noticed the man was divorced three years before he was arrested. His wife, Samantha Bianco, won the custody to take the children with her. He wanted to search further, but there didn't seem to be more information of her and her children. 

By this time Joe was itching to confront Neil, as he quickly shutdown the laptop. He placed back the laptop underneath the bed. Then he began thinking, now that he knew Neil Sterling was Nicholas Stein, Joe was convinced the man was the one behind the attack. He also knew there was still hope to find the antidote for Frank. 

Instantly, Joe left the room, and rushed downstairs. He started searching for Neil Sterling at the construction site. After asking around from the workers, he found out Neil had gone to New York to get some hardware supplies. Joe couldn't help wondering why Neil always seemed nowhere to be found when he was wanted for questioning. Well, if Neil isn't here, then that'll give me a chance to take a look in his room, Joe thought hopefully. Somehow glad that Neil wasn't on the island, Joe went back inside the building. 

Since Jane wasn't working today, Joe had easy access to the files in Jane's desk drawer. He found an appointment book. Curious, he began leafing through it. It was Shane's appointment book where Jane had recorded all of Shane's previous appointments. He noticed Shane kept having his appointment at Flash Courier Service in New York. He'd guess that might be Shane's company, too. 

Closing the book, he searched again through the drawer. A few minutes later, he found a register book, which told him which room Neil was staying. He didn't waste his time going there. 

Joe managed to pick the lock of Neil's room in record time. Okay, he knew he was breaking-and-entering, but he mentally redefined the term for that. He kept telling himself he was merely entering-and-searching the room, and not _breaking_ anything, literally speaking. That sounded better than the original term. Tell that to the police! 

The lock was easy to pick, though. Maybe that was why Neil didn't bother with the security on this island. So, that he could easily sneak into our room and kill us all, Joe silently reasoned. 

Cautiously, he stepped into the room. The room was dark because the heavy curtains covered the windows. Joe turned on the lights and closed the door behind him silently. 

Neil's room was tidy as if he never lived in, but that didn't discourage Joe to find clues – anything that might help him to cure Frank. He glanced around the room for a moment before deciding to search the closet first. Joe snorted in disgust when he found the closet empty. He turned his attention to other part of the room. He spent a few minutes searching. It was quite an easy search since Neil didn't keep a lot of things in his room. This made Joe wonder if Neil was hiding something. 

He suddenly uttered something under his breath when he found something inside a drawer, underneath a pile of clothes. A bulky twenty-by-ten inches brown leather sheath lay hidden at the back of the drawer. When Joe reached for it, his hand almost dropped because of the surprisingly heavy weight of the object. He placed it on the floor and unlaced the string that closed the leather flap together. He unrolled the material. 

"What in the – " 

There, lay inside the leather was an assortment of different kinds of daggers. Most of them were authentic-looking. Joe counted ten of them. He recognized some of the daggers. A German Dolch, a Scottish Dirk, a Turkish Jambiya, and a Malaysian Keris. He wasn't sure the origin of the other daggers. But all of them had something in common – the deadly looking snake-like blade. 

Joe shuddered inwardly. He was sure one of these daggers was used on Frank, even though all them were cleaned of dirt or blood. From the shiny way the daggers looked, told Joe that Neil spent a lot of his time polishing them. 

A noise outside the door snapped Joe out of his thoughts. He quickly tied back the leather and placed it back where it came from. 

Joe tensed and listened again. The noise seemed to have stopped. He took a risk to continue the search. But after a few minutes, he couldn't find anything that might lead him to the antidote, or the poison itself. A feeling of helplessness washed over him when he realized he might not be able to save his brother. He kicked a nearby trashcan in anger and frustration. The trashcan tumbled to the ground, spilling its contents to the floor. 

"Great," Joe muttered. He kneeled down and started collecting the crumpled newspapers, and put them back into the trashcan. 

His hand suddenly touched something soft and wet. He glanced down. It was a cotton ball. What was Neil doing with this? He wondered curiously. Instinctively, Joe took out his handkerchief and covered the cotton ball with it. He slipped it into his pocket. He realized it might be nothing, but there was a good chance it was connected to the case. 

_The poison!_ Joe smacked his head in realization. Why didn't he think of it before? If he could prove this was poison, then he could prove Neil was the one behind the attack. He quickly washed his hand, just for a precaution. He returned and searched the trash, hoping it would bring more clues. 

Finding nothing more, he carefully arranged the trashcan before heading out of the room. As he walked along the hallway, Joe glanced at his wristwatch. _Uh-oh, it's dinner time. I'd better get some food!_

*** 

Joe entered his room wearily after his trip from Inzell. It took him almost an hour to get their dinner because of the long queue. As he placed the dinner on the table, he noticed Frank was starting to wake up. His brother rubbed his eyes tiredly. 

"How are you feeling?" Joe asked in concern. 

"Fine, I guess," Frank mumbled. "How long have I been sleeping?" he asked, propping himself on his elbows. 

"About four hours," Joe replied. 

"Four hours!" Frank exclaimed. "Why didn't you wake me up earlier?" he asked angrily. "We could have used that time for the case together – and possibly find the antidote before I – " Frank stopped, as if finally acknowledging the inevitability of his death. 

Joe looked hurt and guilty by Frank's tone. "I'm so sorry, Frank. I didn't realized that," he apologized. "You look so sick, I didn't have a heart to disturb you." 

Frank knew his brother was right. He took a deep breath. "It's okay, Joe. I'm sorry," he said in a calmer tone. "I didn't mean to snap at you like that." He ran his hand through his hair – a sure sign that he was nervous. He swallowed a lump in his throat when he thought about leaving his brother behind, his family – and Callie! He wondered if he should tell his girlfriend, Callie Shaw. He didn't want to get her worried. Maybe he would call her later. But what was he supposed to say to her? 

"Dad's coming over," Joe announced simply. 

Frank looked surprised. "Why?" 

Joe relayed the conversation that he had with their father. He went on to explain what he had found out the last few hours. 

Frank couldn't help feeling slightly relieved. At least the day hadn't gone to waste. "Good work, Joe," he said. He couldn't help feeling proud for his brother. He knew methodical thinking wasn't Joe's kind of thing. Joe would only use it when he thought necessary, otherwise he would leave all the thinking part to Frank. 

"But I still haven't found the antidote," Joe added with a grim look. He should have known Neil wouldn't leave it in the open. He must have hid it somewhere. 

"Neil's got to have it. If he made the poison, he should have the antidote, too," Frank said. "Maybe he didn't hide it in his room," he said thoughtfully. 

"If not, where else? Does he have another house in Inzell?" Joe asked, frowning. 

"I hardly think so," Frank said. "But we can check it out, just in case. But my best bet is – he carries it with him everywhere." 

Joe shook his head in disgust. "How are we going to get it from him? That guy could beat us to pieces with just one swing of his arm," he pointed out. 

"We'll figure out when he gets back from Inzell. I supposed he would be there, too, when Shane meets Ms. Matteo," Frank replied. "In the meantime, I think we can send the cotton ball that you've found to Dr. Nilson. Maybe it'll give him more information on the poison type." 

Joe nodded in agreement. "Do you want something to eat?" he asked changing the subject. 

For the first time, Frank realized he hadn't eaten for almost a day. "Yeah, I could use some," he agreed, patting his empty stomach. He climbed out of bed. His dizziness seemed to have gone, but still he walked carefully toward the kitchen table. 

They quickly ate before they took a ride to Inzell Island, where they were planning to meet Dr. Nilson. The boys were relieved when the doctor was still working despite the late hour. They gave him the cotton ball and explained quickly about its significance. Dr. Nilson immediately analyzed it and found out it definitely covered with the poison. He also had prepared a trial antidote for Frank, but it wasn't strong enough to fight the poison, much to Joe's disappointment. That would mean, they still needed to find the _real_ antidote. After thanking the doctor, they walked out of the building. 

When the brothers got back to Verin Island, they were caught by surprise when Jane suddenly approached them at the resort entrance. 

"Oh, thank goodness you're here!" Jane said between excitement and apprehension. 

"What's wrong, Jane?" Joe asked in puzzlement. 

Jane seemed unable to calm down. She became more and more agitated. "It – It's …" she started pointing frantically to the back of the room. 

"What are you trying to say?" Frank asked calmly, hoping that it would calm her, too. 

"The workers – T-They found…_him!_" she managed to choke out. 

"Who?" Joe asked curiously. 

"I think it's better if you could show us," Frank suggested gently. 

Jane nodded eagerly, and brought them to the end of the construction site. Frank and Joe could see the construction workers were crowding something at the beach. 

"What's going on here?" Frank asked when he arrived at the spot. 

"We don't know. We happened to find him like that," one of them replied. 

The crowd dispersed to give way for Frank and Joe. Frank stopped immediately when he saw what the workers were crowding around. He heard Joe took a large intake of breath. 

Lying on the sandy beach, with pale blue eyes staring lifelessly at the sky, was the dead body of Jim Owen. 


	13. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER 12**

"Don't touch anything," Frank immediately ordered in a calm voice. He turned to the worker who had spoken earlier. "Call the police," he told the man. Then Frank carefully surveyed the scene before him. He kneeled down and checked the preliminary cause of death. It appeared Jim Owen was stabbed. Frank could see the wound right through the man's heart. He glanced around the scene, hoping to see if there were any clues that would pinpoint the murderer. He definitely wouldn't find the footprints because they were already been disturbed. From Jim's bruised head, his split lips, and the cuts around his eyes told Frank there was a struggle before the man was stabbed. 

"Did anyone of you see what happened?" Joe asked. 

All of them shook their head. 

"Who found him?" he asked again. 

"I did," one of the workers said. "My name's Bill. I was about to take my cigarette break here when I found Jim's body." 

"When was this?" Frank asked, getting up from the ground. 

"About ten minutes before you two came," Bill replied. 

"What did you do after you found the body?" Joe asked. 

"I told my colleagues, and then John here suggested we informed Shane or someone else. But since Shane and Neil aren't here, we told Jane about it," he answered. 

Frank turned to Jane. "And where were you when this happened?" he asked her. 

"I was in my room," Jane replied nervously. 

"Alone?" 

Jane nodded silently. 

Frank sighed. 

"What's going to happen now?" Jane asked. A worried look etched on her pretty face. 

"I think we all need to wait until the police arrived. They might want to question everyone on this island," Joe replied. "I think you can wait in the building." 

The workers started to murmur as they reluctantly left the crime scene. Jane, too, followed closely behind, looking more nervous than ever. 

"So, what do you think?" Joe asked his brother, when the others were out of earshot. 

"Looks like someone didn't bother to conceal the murder," Frank said. 

"It has to be Neil," Joe couldn't help saying. 

"But it could also be someone else on this island," Frank added. He rubbed his temple to ease his dizziness that suddenly came over. 

"You think one of them might did it? Why?" Joe asked in surprise. 

"We don't know if Jim had blackmailed the others, too. One of them might have lost his cool and murdered him," Frank suggested grimly. 

"But it couldn't have been Jane. We all already knew about her past, and I don't think she could have caused Jim with split lips, and bruised face," Joe pointed out. For some reason, he couldn't help defending her. 

Frank frowned thoughtfully. "Maybe," he said vaguely. He suddenly felt weary, and drained. This case was starting to give him a headache. How come something so simple can be complicated at the same time? 

The police from Inzell Island arrived about fifteen minutes later. The Hardys were surprised when Shane and Neil arrived with them, too. 

"What are you doing here? I thought you were at Matteo's," Joe said to Shane. 

"We were," Shane nodded. "We were leaving the dock almost at the same time as the police," he explained. 

"Shane, we've got to talk to you privately after this," Joe said quietly, as they entered the building. 

Shane looked curiously at Joe before nodded silently. 

All of them gathered inside the lobby of the main building. The police started asking questions and taking statements from all of them after securing the crime scene area. One of them, a tall broad-shouldered dark-haired man was wearing a black trench coat despite the warm weather. Underneath the coat, the boys could see he was wearing jeans and polo shirt, which seemed out of place from the other uniformed officers. He even looked quite young for a police detective – possibly in his late twenties. 

The Hardys found out he was in charged of the case. When he finally came to the Hardys, he introduced himself as Detective Lucian DiMatteo. "No relation with the Matteos, but you can call me Lucian," he added good-naturedly when he was met by the boys' surprised looks. It was obvious he had received the same reaction from other people before. 

"Are you the sons of Fenton Hardy? I've heard of him before," Lucian asked after the brothers introduced themselves. His brown eyes glanced at the brothers curiously. 

"Yes, we are," Frank answered. 

He smoothed down his unruly dark hair with a thoughtful look, before singling the brothers from the others. "And are you here on a case?" Lucian continued asking, jotting down something inside his notebook. 

"Yes," Joe replied. The boys took turns explaining the sabotage case, and how Shane had brought them here to investigate the suspicious events. 

"And did you find out anything suspicious?" 

"We found out Jim Owen had been doing some blackmailing," Joe stated, and explained further about Jim blackmailing Jane Rosso, and his involvement with Tara Matteo. "But we're still not sure if he was the one who sabotaged the resort now that he's dead," he ended. He decided not to tell the police about Neil, yet. He wanted to confront the man before sending him to the police. 

The police detective looked thoughtful for a moment. "Uh-huh," he muttered as he added something in his notebook. 

"What about the time of death?" Frank asked Lucian. 

"The time of death would be between half an hour to an hour ago," he told them simply. "But I'll be speaking to you if something comes up later," he told the Hardys before turning to Shane and Neil. 

The Hardys heard him asking the same questions. They found out Shane had a meeting with Tara Matteo to discuss about the island, but Shane still couldn't make an agreement with Ms. Matteo to discontinue her so-called threats. She even had denied knowing Jim Owen when Shane had confronted her. 

"So, you and Matteo were at Inzell when the murder happens," Lucian concluded. "What about you, Mr. Sterling?" he asked turning to the big man. The detective didn't seem intimidated by the size of the man, or his unfriendly face that kept glaring at the detective. 

"With Shane," Neil said shortly and crisply. 

The detective turned to Shane for an acknowledgment. 

"He was with me and Ms. Matteo," Shane replied and nodded. 

"The whole time?" the detective prompted. 

"Well, he did leave about half an hour to get some of my papers that I left on the boat," Shane answered. 

Frank wondered if that was enough time to ride a boat to Verin, and kill Jim and go back to Inzell. But how could have Neil known Jim would be on Verin Island? The last time he was seen, Jim was running away from Verin Island. 

Lucian's face was a mask as he listened to Shane's answer. Instead of asking further, he turned to the last person in the room, Jane. The Hardys had to strain their ears to listen to Jane's nervous answers. Lucian didn't look irritated by her short abrupt sentences – instead he was listening patiently and calmly to every word she was saying. 

"So, if I understood this correctly, you went straight to your room after your trip at Inzell?" the Hardys heard Lucian said to Jane. The handsome detective smiled at her, showing off his dimples. He was trying not to make her more nervous than she already was. 

"Yes." Jane nodded, blushing. 

"And what happened after that?" Lucian continued asking. 

"I – I took a nap for a couple of hours before one of the workers knocked on my room and reported about the body," she answered, looking calmer now. 

"So, you have no alibi," Lucian concluded as he took some notes. 

At the mention of this, Jane looked panicked as if he had assumed she was the murderer. 

"Don't look so upset, Ms. Rosso. I was just stating a fact," Lucian assured her when he noticed the look on her face. "Just because you have no alibi, that doesn't mean you're a killer," he added gently. Again, he smiled at her. 

Jane returned the smile shyly. 

"Boy, I could have sworn Lucian got a hit. Look at the way both of them look at each other," Joe stated quietly to Frank as he glanced at Lucian and Jane. 

"Jealous, Joe?" Frank teased his brother. 

"Nah, a woman like Jane makes me nervous," Joe replied with a grin. Then his tone grew serious. "We've got to solve this case fast. Everyone looks like they are on the edge." 

Frank didn't manage to reply when a crime-scene expert came over to Lucian, and handed him a clear plastic bag that contained a bloodied knife. 

"Where did you find this, Morris?" Lucian asked curiously as he studied the knife. To Frank, it looked like an ordinary knife, like the one his mother always used in the kitchen. 

"In one of the drawers in the office," the man answered, pointing toward the personnel area. 

Lucian turned to Shane. "I think we need to investigate the office area," he told the owner of the resort. 

"If it'll help you solve the case, then I don't mind," Shane replied calmly. 

Lucian nodded to the expert. "Then I need you, and you two to follow me," he told Shane, and the Hardys. 

When Morris took them to the personnel area, Joe was surprised when he pointed to Jane's desk. Another female crime-scene expert was dusting off for fingerprints on the middle drawer. She had a laptop and a small scanner next to her for scanning the prints. Joe knew his fingerprints would be all over the drawers, since he had been the one looking through them this afternoon. _Oh, man, this doesn't look good._

"Any prints on the knife?" Lucian asked Morris. 

"No, but we found some prints on the drawer where the knife was," the man replied solemnly. 

Lucian turned to Shane. "Whose desk is this?" 

"It's Jane's, but she doesn't work today," Shane answered with a frown. 

Lucian just nodded. Joe couldn't help wondering what Lucian was thinking. There didn't seem to be any form of reaction from the police detective, but he could sense the man's brain was working furiously. For some unknown reason, the man reminded him of Frank. 

"We've got something on the prints," the woman told them as she glanced at her laptop. "One of them belongs to Jane Rosso, and the other two – Shane Unterhauser, and Joe Hardy." 

"So, we have three suspects, possibly four," Lucian concluded. 

"And who might be the fourth one?" Frank asked curiously. 

"Someone who might not leave his or her prints behind, just like the knife," the detective answered. "Now, from what I gather, Joe seemed to be the last one who had seen Jim, and his prints are coincidentally on the drawer." 

"Are you going to arrest Joe?" Frank asked, shooting a warning look toward Joe to calm down. 

"No, what we have here is just circumstantial evidence," Lucian told him calmly. "I was just stating some facts from the case." 

Frank nodded silently. He knew the detective was right. Lucian began working around the scene meticulously for a quite a while, that Frank couldn't help admiring his approach. 

"I think we're done for now," Lucian announced when he had finished his task. He turned to the Hardys before leaving. "Call me if you've found out anything else," the detective reminded the boys with a serious look on his face. "I want to close this case as soon as possible." 

"We will," Frank promised. He didn't add that he also would like to close this case soon – for his own sake. 

Joe noticed Neil walked out of the building after the police had left. Shane, however, was making a short meeting with his workers in his office. Joe glanced at Frank, and saw that he, too, was watching Neil. 

"Shall we see what he's up to?" Joe asked his brother with a knowing look. 

Frank nodded and walked to the entrance. There was no sign of Neil when both of them were outside. 

"Where do you think did he go? We didn't give him a head start more than a minute," Joe said in frustration. 

"Let's check at the construction site," Frank suggested. He shook his head for a moment trying to get rid the sudden feeling of blackness. 

"Are you all right?" Joe asked worriedly. 

"Yeah, I'm fine. Come on, let's go," Frank urged. 

But they were disappointed when they couldn't find any sign of Neil at the site. Then they decided to search the whole island for him. At one time, they'd thought they saw Neil in the woods, but when they ran and got closer, nobody was there. 

"Man, who's this guy anyway? A magician?" Joe remarked half an hour later when they still couldn't find the man. He was huffing and puffing as he shook his head in disgust. 

"Either that, or he knows this island like the back of his hand," Frank murmured thoughtfully. He, too, was breathing hard after the run. Maybe I should avoid heavy activities in this condition, he thought grimly, feeling his vision swimming around him. "Joe, let's go back to our room!" he gasped suddenly, before he collapsed into unconsciousness. 

*** 

Joe walked to the crime scene the next morning. But this morning, the silence was deafening as he passed the construction area. Obviously, Shane had told the workers to take a few days off until the investigation was completed. Joe didn't see Neil, or Jane this morning. Shane was in his office, grumbling all the time about his misfortunes. Joe wanted to confront Neil, but the man always had a knack to disappear whenever he was needed for questioning. It was as if he had a 'Hardy Radar' – so that he could run away if the radar picked up a signal from any one of the Hardys hovering nearby. Joe chuckled silently at the thought. 

Joe sobered immediately when he thought about his brother. Frank was hit again by the symptoms last night before going to bed. From the looks of it, it was getting worse. Joe took all that he had not to wake his brother this morning. He had left his brother some breakfast before he went out. He knew Frank would be angry with him again, but Joe couldn't stand to see his brother suffer while they were investigating. 

He reached the crime scene. This time, the area was already surrounded by the yellow tape, which the police had erected last night. A white outline of the dead body was at the center of the area. He wanted to scour the area again since he didn't have the chance to examine it properly last night. 

Joe started to examine every inch of the area. After a few minutes, he couldn't find any clues that might prove useful. He let out his breath in frustration. Instead of leaving, he walked a few feet away from the crime scene. Something glinting on the ground caught his eyes. He bent down for a closer look. Halfway hidden beneath the sand was a small piece of jewelry. _Where have I seen this before?_

Joe reached out his hand to pick it up. His fingers barely touched it when a sudden noise behind him stopped him. He whipped around. As soon as he did that, something sharp hit him squarely at the back of his head. He fell to the ground as blackness enveloped him. 


	14. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER 13**

"Dad!" Frank Hardy exclaimed when he answered the door. 

His father stood outside the boys' room with a weary smile on his face. He looked like he hadn't shaved for days. It made his handsome face looked a bit rugged. 

"Hello, Frank. How you've been?" Mr. Hardy asked in concern as he stepped inside the room. 

"I'm fine," Frank replied nonchalantly, but his father could detect a hint of fear in his voice. 

"Where's Joe?" his father asked when he noticed there was no one else in the room. 

"I don't know, probably investigating. He was gone when I woke up. I can't believe he left me like that again," Frank couldn't help saying in anger. "Doesn't he realize I've got not much time – " he stopped suddenly when he noticed his father paled. 

"Don't even say it, Frank," his father told him sternly. "No one's going to die." 

Frank gave a sarcastic laugh. "I guess you haven't heard, Dad. There's been a murder yesterday," he stated. He quickly explained to his father about Jim Owen's death. 

Mr. Hardy looked grim as he listened. "It sounds like one of Mr. Owens's blackmail victims might have had it with him," he hypothesized after Frank had done explaining. 

"Or Ms. Matteo could have sent someone to kill him. When Shane had confronted her yesterday, maybe she realized her jig's up, and decided that she won't be needing Jim's service anymore," Frank suggested. 

"I guess it's time to interview Ms. Mateo. She might know something," Fenton Hardy said thoughtfully. "We don't have much time." 

"We should find Joe and tell him about our plan," Frank said. 

"You're not feeling sick anymore?" his father asked worriedly. 

"I'm fine, Dad," Frank answered with a dismissal wave. His headache had increased, but he refused to let it hinder from his investigation. He had a hard time fighting an urge to massage his temple, or to lie down on the bed. He wouldn't want his father to see that he was in pain at the moment. 

"Let's go," Mr. Hardy said and headed for the door. 

Both of them began searching for Joe inside the building, but he was nowhere to be around. They even looked for him at construction site, and the crime scene. But when they discovered he wasn't there either, they went to Shane's office. 

"Yeah, he was here this morning asking about Neil," Shane replied, as he did some paperwork at his desk. 

"When was this?" Frank asked quickly. 

"About an hour ago," came the reply. 

"He didn't say where he was going?" 

"Nope." 

After thanking the man, the Hardys left the room. Mr. Hardy looked thoughtful. 

"What's wrong, Dad?" 

"Hmm, nothing I guess. Just thinking about something." 

They went outside the building again. 

"Hmm, maybe he's gone to Inzell?" Mr. Hardy suggested, as he glanced around the quiet surrounding. 

"Joe would leave a note if he's investigating in Inzell, unless he's getting some food. But he already bought the breakfast," Frank said. "I guess, we leave him a note, just in case. Maybe he's still somewhere on this island." 

After leaving a note for Joe in the room, the Hardys headed for the dock. Another boat was arriving when Frank and Mr. Hardy was about to climb into one. 

"Lucian, what are you doing here?" Frank asked in surprise when the boat stopped beside the dock. 

"Just want to check at the crime scene one more time," he replied. 

Then Frank quickly introduced Lucian to Mr. Hardy. "Have you found out anything about the case?" Frank asked after the introduction was made. 

"We found out the knife wasn't the murder weapon. The blade was a bit wider than the stabbed wound," Lucian reported. 

Frank frowned thoughtfully. Neil's dagger has the right size, and narrower blade, he thought, remembering the blade that had stabbed him. 

"Does that mean Joe is off the hook?" Mr. Hardy asked him. 

"I would say so." 

"So, someone was either trying to frame Jane, or Shane," Frank mused. "They are the only people who spend a lot of time in the office. Joe's prints happened to be a coincidence." 

"That's why I want to talk to Shane, Neil, and Jane again," Lucian told them. 

"Well, there's no one here but Shane," Frank told him. 

"Great, I think I'll go and see him," Lucian said. 

After they parted, the Hardys headed for Inzell Island. Frank found the Matteo's house after consulting his map. 

The Matteo's home was practically a Victorian-style mansion. The entrance was a wrought iron gate, painted in gold, placed between a pair of stone pillars. The name Matteo was placed at the entrance arch. The driveway was lined with neatly trimmed lilac shrubs. 

Mr. Hardy pressed the intercom buzzer that was mounted next to the gate. Frank glanced up. He wasn't surprised when he saw a video camera placed up high on a tree branch. 

"Yes?" a gruff masculine voice suddenly came over the small speaker. 

"We'd like to meet Ms. Matteo," Mr. Hardy announced. 

"Do you have an appointment?" the voice asked again. 

"No, but we'd like to talk to Ms. Matteo. It's very important. It might concern about Zach Matteo, too," Mr. Hardy replied. 

"Your name?" 

"Fenton Hardy, and my son, Frank." 

"A moment," the voice told them. 

"Do you think she'll see us?" Frank asked anxiously. 

"We must talk to her anyway we can," his father replied with a frown. 

A few minutes later, which seemed like hours to the Hardys, the same voice came over the speaker. "Ms. Matteo would like to meet you, Mr. Hardy. Please go through the front gate." As if on cue, the front gate swung open. 

Frank couldn't help feeling relieved. He followed behind his father and walked through the gate. Frank could see the wide manicured lawn at both sides of the mansion. He even saw a few men in dark suits guarding around the area. Matteo's guards, Frank told himself silently. A few minutes later they were standing in front of the doorstep. 

"I think this is the largest house on this island," Frank commented as his father knocked using a brass knocker on the huge oak double doors. 

"I know," his father agreed. "But Mr. Matteo had connections with the underworld. I'm not surprised that was where he got his income," he added grimly. "But I'm not sure what his daughter does for a living though." 

"You did testify against him in court, right?" Frank prompted with a curious look. 

"I was just a minor witness on Mr. Matteo's case. I overheard him trying to buy off Chief Peterson," he told Frank. He didn't manage to elaborate further when the front door was opened. 

Frank had expected a butler to answer the door, instead if was Ms. Matteo herself standing behind the door. She was wearing a dark pantsuit. Her long blond hair was pulled back in a French braid. She looked at them coolly. 

"The Hardys I presumed?" she prompted. Her eyes landed on Frank with a faint recognition. "I remember you," she spoke up. "You were in Mr. Unterhauser's office." Her tone suddenly turned hostile. "And if you're one of Mr. Unterhauser's friends, then I guess we don't have much to talk about." 

She was about to close the door, but Mr. Hardy shot out his hand to stop the door from closing. "Look, we're not really Mr. Unterhauser's friends. He only hired my sons to investigate his resort," he explained quickly. 

"And your investigation leads back to me?" Ms. Matteo prompted evenly. 

"Something else came up, and we found out it might connected to your father's death," Mr. Hardy told her. 

She raised her eyebrows. "What do you know about my father's death?" she challenged. 

"I think it's better if we speak privately inside," Mr. Hardy suggested. 

Ms. Matteo thought for a moment before reluctantly agreed and let them in. As they stepped inside, Frank found himself facing a long hallway. The floor was wood-polished. Paintings and portraits hung on the wall as they walked. They passed a couple of French windows that faced the back of the mansion. He could see a glimpse of tennis court and a swimming pool far behind. She led them into the drawing room. 

After they seated comfortably on plush velvet couch, Ms. Matteo started the conversation. "What do you know about my father's death?" she asked again. She was sitting on a separate single couch. 

"We found out he was poisoned," Frank answered simply. 

Ms. Matteo took a large intake of breath. "Who told you that?" she hissed. "Nobody should know about this." 

"Because I've been poisoned the same way as your father had," Frank told her grimly. 

"I must have a word with Dr. Nilson after this," she said in anger. 

"Don't blame him. He had to tell because I have the same symptoms as Mr. Matteo's," Frank said quickly. "He's trying to find the antidote." 

She snorted. "I doubt he would find the antidote," she retorted. 

Frank stiffened by her remark. Mr. Hardy gave his son a warning glance. He was worried Frank might lose his temper over this, considering the pressure that he had been through. 

"Why did you want your father's poisoning to be a secret?" Mr. Hardy asked the woman. 

"Because I thought Mr. Unterhauser is behind it," she answered crisply. 

"Has he been meeting your father a few days before his death?" Frank asked, frowning. 

"No," she replied grudgingly. "But that doesn't mean he didn't do it. My father saw him at a courier service company in New York. He even mentioned he bumped into one of his workers there." 

Frank sat up straighter, trying not to look interested. "Who and when?" he prompted. 

"Which courier service?" Mr. Hardy asked sharply at the same time. 

She looked thoughtful for a moment. "I'm not sure, Flash Courier or something like that. The man was here last night, very tall and muscular. Looks as if he's sucking lemon all the time," she said carelessly. "He bumped into my father a couple of days before my father died." 

Mr. Hardy and Frank exchanged knowing looks. Neil Sterling! 

"His real name is Nicholas Stein. Do you know that he used to work for Kurt Bianco?" Mr. Hardy asked seriously. 

Her eyes widened in surprise. "I know my father had a huge grudge against the Biancos, but why would he want to kill my father?" she asked. 

Frank studied the woman carefully. There seemed to be a flicker of recognition on her face when his father mentioned the name Nicholas Stein. "Because the island used to belong to the Bianco family?" he guessed. "Remember, your father was planning to buy the island." 

"Why didn't he kill Mr. Unterhauser, too?" she challenged. 

"Maybe he's working on it," Mr. Hardy said. "Too many deaths could make someone suspicious." 

"But he didn't bother to hide Jim Owen's murder," Frank pointed out. 

"Jim Owen's dead?" Ms. Matteo asked in shock. Frank could see her shock was genuine. It was too good to be manufactured. 

Mr. Hardy nodded grimly. "Mr. Sterling is getting desperate," he said. "I just hope he hasn't left the island yet." 

"Jim had confessed you had hired him to spy on Mr. Unterhauser," Frank stated to Ms. Matteo. 

Ms. Matteo's face reddened. "All right, all right! I thought Mr. Unterhauser had cheated to get the island. So, when Owen came to me and tried to blackmail me, I've had an idea to turn this thing around and had him to work for me for a price. Since he hated Unterhauser, I decided to turn him as my insider on Verin Island," she fumed. 

Frank closed his eyes, as a wave of blackness almost enveloped him. His knuckles were white as he clutched the edge of his seat. He barely heard the voices of Ms. Matteo and his father talking. He blinked his eyes several times before focusing on Ms. Matteo. 

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Ms. Matteo answered the door. A large man in dark suit handed her a couple of envelopes. Frank could see one of the enveloped was marked 'Urgent'. She opened the marked one and read. Then she gave a gasped. Her face had turned pale, and lost its shrewdness. 

"Are you all right, Ms. Matteo?" Mr. Hardy asked worriedly. 

The woman didn't answer him for a moment before turning to him with a grave look. "I guess you might be right about Mr. Stein," she said slowly. "This is a letter from the police in Delaware. My family lawyer, Mr. Moore, the one who has the copy of the agreement of Verin Island, has been dead for almost five months - stabbed." 

"Why does it take such a long time to report to you?" Mr. Hardy asked curiously. 

"His body was found only yesterday in a landfill by one of the workers over there," she explained. "Looks like he didn't manage to migrate to Italy after all. There goes my chance to get the island." 

"Stabbed – just like Jim," Frank mused. 

Mr. Hardy turned to his son, looking alarmed. "We can't let Neil Sterling escape! If he runs away, our chance of finding the antidote is gone." 

***

Something wet dripped on Joe Hardy's face. He forced his eyes to open. He found himself staring into darkness, with a single light on ahead of him. It was the water flowing down the craggy wall that landed on his face. 

"So, you've woken up," a familiar male voice sneered from somewhere in front of him. 

When he finally adjusted his eyes, he realized he was in a dim room. A musty smell filled his nostrils. The sound of dripping water told him he might be inside a cave. He could see a silhouette of a person beside him. 

A hand slapped him, and Joe instinctively tried to block the blow, but his hands were held back by something. He finally noticed that he was bounded on the ground. 

"All right, all right, I'm awake!" Joe yelled angrily. 

"I hate smart mouth people like you," Neil Sterling a.k.a. Nicholas Stein said and raised his hand again. 

Joe steeled himself as he felt the impact against at the side of his face. 

"You killed Jim Owen, didn't you?" Joe accused when Neil had stopped hitting. 

"No one squeezes money from me," Neil replied gruffly. "When he set up a meeting with me last night, that was my chance to finish him off. That man knew too much for his own good." 

Joe digested the information quietly. "And what do you want from me?" he asked coldly. 

"Finish the task that I've started," he replied simply and pulled out a syringe from his leather pouch around his waist. 

Joe gulped nervously when he realized what it was. "You don't seem afraid to conceal your identity now, Nicholas Stein," he retorted. He started shifting and squirming against his bound, but it was too tight. Not to mention he was already cornered against the rough wall of the cave. He looked on in fear as Neil came closer with the needle. Joe trashed around against his bound as the needle started closing the gap in-between, but Neil had him on chokehold, pinning him to the ground. 

"By the time you escaped this place, I'll be long gone, and you'll die either way," he told Joe simply. "Now, you'll get what you deserved," Neil sneered as he plunged the needle into Joe's arm.


	15. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER 14**

"Do you have any idea where Neil might be?" Frank asked his father, as they walked quickly toward the dock. They had just left the Matteo's house a few minutes ago. 

"Frankly, I'm not sure either. Even ten years ago, we didn't have a lot of information on this guy," Mr. Hardy replied thoughtfully. 

"But we need to get Joe first before we search for him, though," Frank reminded him. "I just can't help feeling something bad had happened to him. I would be glad to see him safe and sound if he's with us." He began frowning worriedly. 

"We also need to see Shane, too. Maybe he had seen Neil while we were gone," his father suggested. 

They arrived back to Verin Island quickly. When they rushed to Shane's office, they were surprised to see the door was ajar. Frank and his father looked at one another in apprehension. Mr. Hardy raised a finger to his lips, to signal his son to be quiet. Frank nodded in agreement. 

Slowly, Mr. Hardy pushed open the door. Frank gasped when he saw a crumpled figure lying on the floor. 

"Lucian!" Frank rushed over, and instinctively felt for the pulse. He let out a breath of relief when he felt the slow, steady rhythm of the heartbeat. There was a small bump at the back of his head when Frank turned him over while checking for injuries. 

The police detective stirred, and groaned. "Wh…What happened?" he mumbled, groggily. 

"I was about to ask you the same thing," Mr. Hardy said, kneeling down beside the man. 

Lucian blinked his eyes for a moment before focusing on the Hardys. "I don't know…I wanted to see Shane, so naturally I came here," he explained, wincing as he rubbed the back of his head. "But he wasn't here, and the door was opened. I'd thought I'd wait for him until he came back." 

"Well, nobody's here now," Mr. Hardy remarked thoughtfully. "Something strange is going on here. Everyone seems to be missing." 

"Then what happened?" Frank asked Lucian, getting back to the subject. 

"Well, I was sitting down, reading some of his papers on the table before someone knocked me out from behind," Lucian replied, frowning as he was remembering. 

"Hmm, there are no papers on the table now," Frank announced as he walked over to the table. "Shane's laptop is still here, though," he added. 

"What was on the papers?" Mr. Hardy asked Lucian. 

"Just some ledger stuff. I think Shane was calculating his monthly balance – nothing suspicious in that, I suppose." 

Frank closed his eyes, and massaged the side of his head. _What is missing in this case? Where could Neil be? And where is Joe?_

"Is he all right?" Lucian asked Mr. Hardy when he noticed Frank, looking slightly pale. 

Mr. Hardy decided to tell Lucian the additional information on the case. After all, they might need all the help they could get. He told Lucian about their suspicion on Neil Sterling, his real identity, and the poisoning. 

"Well, I didn't see him here. Maybe I'll put an APB on him right away," Lucian suggested, pulling out his cell phone. 

"That would be a good idea," he agreed. 

"I think I'll go check if Joe's upstairs," Frank spoke up, and left the room. When he reached his room, he noticed their note for Joe was still unopened. That would mean Joe hadn't been in the room since they left this morning. _Oh, please, don't let anything happened to him, too. _He grew uneasy by the seconds. With both Neil, and Joe missing, he had to wonder if it was a coincidence. 

"Joe's not here?" Mr. Hardy's voice suddenly came over from the door, with Lucian at his side. This time there was a worried look on Mr. Hardy's face, too. 

"No." 

Frank quickly pulled out his laptop. Before he booted up his computer, Frank hesitated for a while, wondering whether he should go searching for Joe, or Neil first. If he decided to find Neil, he might get the antidote first. But what about Joe? He could be out there with his life hanging on a balance. _My life, or Joe's?_

Seeing the look on Frank's face, Mr. Hardy could tell what his son was thinking. He checked his pockets and grimaced. "Great, I can't remember where I put the cell phone. My wife's going to kill me if she finds out I lost her cell phone – the fifth time." He shook his head before turning to Lucian. "I think we should also send a search team for Joe. It's the best thing we can do at the moment." 

"We don't have enough staff at Inzell PD," Lucian told him. "But I'll try to get them search the whole Inzell first, before going here. And maybe we might need help from the marine police, too." He pulled out his cell phone again and started dialing the station's number. 

"Good." Then Mr. Hardy turned to Frank. "What are you doing?" his father asked. 

"Check if we can find anything more on Neil," Frank replied simply. He was slightly relieved that his father already made the decision for him. He definitely couldn't think straight at the moment. It was at desperate time like this his father could read him like a book. "I know that we don't have much time, but it'll be better if we learn something about Neil." 

"What are you looking for?" Lucian asked curiously, after finishing his call. 

"I don't know," Frank admitted. "But if Neil is running away, he would need a lot of money to stay incognito for a while, right?" he asked. 

"You mean like building a new home somewhere in Mexico?" Lucian suggested, thoughtfully. 

Frank nodded. 

"What are you trying to say?" Mr. Hardy looked curiously at Frank. 

"I'm just wondering where he's going to get the money, that's all," Frank pointed out. "Maybe he'd bought a ticket to go somewhere, or if there's a large withdrawal in his bank account." 

"I guess it's worth a try," Mr. Hardy hedged, but he wasn't sure it would lead them to the antidote. He had a feeling Frank was tiring, and doing a research was something his son would do to forget his pain. He knew they were grasping at straws at the moment. Any little information might be valuable.

***

Joe started struggling against his bonds as soon as Neil had gone out of the cave. He had a feeling the man wasn't going to come back again. Joe tried to reach his hands to the back pocket of his jeans. He remembered he had placed his Swiss Army knife inside it. After getting knocked out and tied up the last time, he'd told himself to bring his knife, just in case. He didn't realize it would be handy right now – sooner than he had expected. 

"Come on, just a little bit more…" he urged himself. When his fingers finally slipped inside the pocket, he began frantically reaching for the knife. 

He gave a slight relief when he finally had the knife in his hand. He twisted it open with difficulty, wincing as it sliced slightly through his flesh. He ignored the pain, and concentrated on sawing through the rope. 

The process was long and agonizing. Finally, when the knife managed to get through the rope, Joe quickly yanked it from himself and tossed it away. Then he cut off the rope that was bound on his legs. When he was done, he slipped the knife back into his pocket. 

He scrambled to his feet and ran toward the entrance of the cave. _I hope Neil doesn't put me on an empty island. I'm getting tired of swimming._ He found himself facing the sea as soon as he reached the mouth of the cave. He was relieved when he spotted a few boats cruising nearby the island. 

As he walked along the sandy beach, he noticed he was nearby an old fishing wharf that stood beside a lighthouse. He approached an old man in drab clothing and a cap, sitting on a wooden chair facing the dock. When the man heard Joe's footsteps, he regarded Joe with a curious look. 

"Excuse me, sir? This might sound a bit silly, but can you tell me the name of this island?" Joe asked, trying not to show his embarrassment. 

The man looked at Joe as if he was some kind of a slimy alien who had accidentally dropped to Earth. "You're either the _moronest_ person on earth or one clever fool," the man commented with a shake of his head. 

Joe glowered when he heard the choice of words the man had given him. He wasn't sure if he should feel flattered or insulted. 

When Joe didn't answer, the man sighed. "You're on Inzell Island, lad. Does that ring any bell?" 

Joe couldn't help letting out a huge breath of relief. "It sure rings a lot of bells," he told the man with a grin. After thanking him, Joe quickly left the area, leaving the man with a bewildered look on his face. 

This time Joe debated whether to find Neil, or go back to Verin Island. His brother might be worried by now. But he wasn't sure where Neil would be at the moment. If the man wanted to run away, his first choice would be at the wharf, where he could take a ferry to New York. But where would Neil go after that? He checked his watch. The last ferry had left about five minutes ago. No, I'll go check on Frank, he decided finally. Maybe Frank could find out where Neil would be heading. But somewhere at the back of his mind, he couldn't help thinking if he had made the biggest mistake in his life.

***

"Okay, that theory was a bust," Frank commented in disgust as he typed something on the keyboard. Mr. Hardy, Lucian, and him were still in the room, trying to find out any more information about Neil Sterling, or Nicholas Stein. 

Lucian had called the bank that held an account for Mr. Stein's. After he identified himself as a police detective, and explained the situation to the bank manager, he agreed to give his cooperation to the police. 

They had found out Nicholas Stein had only a couple of thousand dollars in his account. The detective also asked to check if there was any account with the name Neil Sterling. There was, but their hopes grew dim when the manager announced his saving was only about ten thousand dollars. 

"Maybe he has another bank account somewhere? Like a Swiss bank, or maybe in one of those banks in Cayman Island?" Lucian suggested. 

"If he has a numbered account, then it'll be hard to trace it. We only need his account number to find that out, but we don't have that, do we?" Mr. Hardy pointed out. 

"I guess not," Lucian muttered, letting out his breath in frustration. "You mentioned that Neil Sterling used to work in a pharmaceutical company, right?" he suddenly asked. 

"Yeah, so?" Frank asked, trying to figure out the connection with the case. 

"Maybe they had done some experimenting with the poison from an unknown plant in Brazil. If we can send them the sample that you have sent to Dr. Nilson to check for a match, maybe they have the antidote," he suggested. 

Frank felt like banging his head against the wall. Why didn't he think of that before? He looked at the police detective with grudging admiration. 

"By then it would be too late," Mr. Hardy said with a frown. "It'll take days to get the results." 

"But we also have to check if the company really exists," Lucian reminded them grimly. 

"I'll do it," Frank offered and began searching through the Internet. A few minutes later, he found the company's official site. 

"I'll call Dr. Nilson," Lucian said immediately and flipped open his cell phone. 

While Frank was surfing the Net, Mr. Hardy glanced at a piece of paper next to Frank. His eyes grew large when he noticed a familiar name on the paper. 

"Frank, where did you get this?" Mr. Hardy asked, suddenly looking alert. He pulled up the paper for Frank to see. 

Frank glanced at the paper. "Oh, it's just a list of companies that had bought Bianco's old properties. I got that from Blake and Bradley Liquidators," he replied. He remembered most of Bianco's properties were located in New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and a few in Chicago. 

"Flash Courier Service is a new company that's located at East Graverock, and Flatland," Mr. Hardy told him quickly. "That's the area Sidney was patrolling before he died, and also where Mr. Matteo was before he died, too." 

"You think Neil might also be collecting other Bianco's properties?" Frank asked his father. 

"If he's that loyal to Bianco, I guess he would," he replied thoughtfully. 

Suddenly motivated, Frank quickly did a research on each company in the list. It took him more than half an hour to find the related information. By that time, Lucian had finished his phone call, and reported that Dr. Nilson would prepare a sample to be sent to the pharmaceutical company in Brazil. 

"So, what have you found out?" Lucian asked when he saw Frank, frowning in deep thought as he scribbled something on the list. 

"Hmm, interesting…" Frank muttered. "Flash Courier Service, Microtron Semiconductors, CentralCity Mall, etc., etc.…Oh, man, this is bigger than we had in mind. It's not just a simple case of sabotage, or revenge anymore." 

"What do you mean?" Lucian asked curiously. 

"All of these companies had been bought for the past few months by one giant company. Here, take a look at this," he showed the paper that he had written with the additional information. 

"But that's…" Lucian was shocked. 

"And Verin Island is the latest and final addition to the collection," Mr. Hardy commented with a knowing look. "We've got to find out why. There must be something else we're missing – something important," he told them, grimly. 

While Mr. Hardy and Lucian continued discussing the case, Frank continued surfing through the net, finding out more about Nicholas Stein's past. His hands were trembling as he typed on the keyboard. He blindly went from one site to another until he found something that made his interest piqued. 

"Hey! I think this is the missing information that we're looking for," Frank said, trying to control his excitement. He read the newspaper article over and over. 

Both men rushed to Frank and looked at the screen. "We have to check about this," Mr. Hardy urged while reading the article. Without wasting a second, Mr. Hardy called Chief Peterson. 

"I want you to reopen the files on everything you can find about Bianco," he told his friend simply. He briefly described the case to Chief Peterson before hanging up. "I just hate it when we have to dig back what we have buried long time ago," he commented in disgust. Then he made a few phone other calls to get some more information – one to a law firm, the other to an adoption agency, and a couple of long distance calls. When he was done, he turned to the others grimly and told them the vital information they were looking for. 

Frank's face paled slightly, and breathed deeply. "This person is secretly rebuilding Bianco's empire – that's his hidden agenda all this time!" 

"Do you smell something?" Lucian suddenly spoke up in alarm. 

Suddenly, a cloud of smoke started to drift into the room. Frank was starting to get dizzy, as the smoke grew thicker. His eyes blurred with tears from the smoke. He could feel the burning sensations in his lungs as he coughed violently. _Can't breathe…What's happening?_

Frank barely heard his father shouting in alarm when he tried to put out the fire that was eating through the door, or when Lucian was frantically trying to knock down the locked door. Frank coughed and massaged his head, before collapsing to the floor. What a way to go, Frank thought before he closed his eyes.

***

Joe Hardy wearily stepped on a boat at Inzell Island. His own rental boat was gone, and he had a feeling Neil might have something to do with it. After spending a few minutes giving excuses about his missing boat and begging at the guy in the rental shop, Joe finally got a new rental boat. He climbed inside the boat and started it. He was about to back away from the dock, when another boat pulled up beside his. Joe was surprised to see the person. 

"Hey, Shane, where are you going?" Joe asked over the roar of the engine. 

"I've got an important appointment in New York," Shane replied with a grin. "I'm beginning to get annoyed by these trips to New York." 

"Looks like you're planning to stay there for a while," Joe remarked when he noticed a large gym bag on the passenger seat of the boat. 

Shane shrugged. "Well, the problem might be bigger than I had in mind," he told Joe. 

"Say, you haven't seen Neil, have you?" Joe asked the man. 

Shane shrugged. "Haven't seen him today. He's kind of popular today, huh?" he said. 

"What do you mean?" 

"Your brother, your father, are all looking for him," Shane reported. 

"They're now at Verin?" 

Shane nodded. "Look, I can't talk longer. I've got a ferry to catch," he said quickly as he glanced at his watch. 

Joe bade him goodbye before maneuvered the boat to Verin Island. He sped up the boat, wanting to talk to his brother, and his father as soon as possible. His heart thudded quickly when he saw a cloud of smoke billowing up to the sky from Verin Island. The resort was on fire! He quickly brought the boat to the dock when he reached the island. 

He dashed toward the building, and his heart stopped for a minute when he noticed the smoke was coming out from his and Frank's room! 

"Frank!" he shouted in panic. 

He was about to take another step when a sudden explosion shattered the silence. The impact sent Joe hurling back and crashed to the ground a few feet behind. He covered his head instinctively as the debris rained down on him. Shaking his head, he looked horrified when the reality hit him – shocking him to all his senses. The resort had gone up in a huge fireball – with Frank and his father in it!


	16. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER 15**

"No! No! No! No! No!" Joe scrambled to his feet and ran toward the blazing fire. The bright light from the flame and the scorched heat was overbearing, and he had to retreat a little. Everything of the building had collapsed. The fire had licked the structure until he could see the skeleton of the building. He circled the building, hoping to see any way to get inside despite its condition. 

Since the crumbled bricks blocked the main entrance, Joe dashed quickly to the back of the building where another entrance was located. He tried to ignore the flame as he tried to enter the destroyed door. A fiery plank dropped to the ground, just a few inches from Joe when he took a step inside the building. This is hopeless, he thought in dismay as he jumped back from the building. 

"Frank! Dad!" he cried over and over. He had to save Frank and his father. But somewhere at the back of his mind told him no one could survive this explosion. 

Joe dropped to his knees in despair, and slammed his fists to the ground, over and over until they were bruised, and raw. This couldn't be happening! 

He took a deep breath for a moment, before burying his face into his hands. He squeezed his eyes shut – trying to shut out everything that was happening around him. _Tell me this is just a dream. A horrible nightmare. Can someone please wake me up, now?_

A hand suddenly fell on his right shoulder. 

"I'm here, Joe," a familiar voice said comfortingly. 

"Yeah, right," Joe mumbled in daze. Then he froze, as if he finally registered the voice to his brain. He stood up, and whirled around in shock. There, standing before him with black soot all over, a gash on one side of his face, and on his forearm, and a shaky smile on his face was his own father! 

"Y-You're alive!" Joe gave him a fierce hug. 

"Just barely," his father assured him, hugging back as he ruffled his son's hair. 

"Are you all right?" Joe asked him, noticing the singed sleeves on his father's shirt, and the reddish skin on his arms. He had a feeling the explosion had been a very close call for his father. 

"Just a mild burn, but otherwise I'm okay," he grimaced, suddenly looking drained. 

"But what about Frank?" Joe asked anxiously. 

"He's here, but he still unconscious. I think we need to get him to the hospital right away. The smoke had made his condition worse," Mr. Hardy told him grimly, as he brought Joe toward the edge of the wood – a safe distance away from the burning building. 

Joe noticed Lucian was kneeling beside Frank, who was lying on the ground, tending the wound on his brother's head. Like his father, both of them were covered in black soot, with a few minor burns here and there. 

"What are you doing here?" Joe asked the police detective in surprise. 

"It's a long story," Lucian replied with a wan smile. 

Frank was starting to wake up when Joe squatted beside him. His brother was mumbling something incoherently before opening his eyes. 

"Frank, wake up," Joe urged, shaking him lightly. "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have left you in the room." 

Frank blinked his eyes several times before finally focusing on Joe. " 'S okay, Joe…Where've you…been?" He coughed and wheezed for a moment before struggling to sit up. 

"It's a long story. Neil kidnapped me," Joe replied, trying not to show his fear. Frank did look worse than before. 

Frank and his father exchanged uneasy glances, as Joe explained grimly about his abduction. _No, not him, too._ But he has better chances to live than I do, Frank told himself_._

"Hey, don't look so worried," Joe said, trying to lighten the mood. He tried not to think about his end. He knew it would be a few hours from now when the symptoms would start showing. 

Everyone was silent for a moment before Mr. Hardy spoke up. "We've got to move quick. Frank, I think we need to send you to the hospital," he said firmly. 

"No, Dad, I'm going with you," Frank replied stubbornly. He shakily stood up from his position. 

"Frank –" 

"No." 

"Do you know who did this?" Joe asked, deciding to change the subject, as he pointed to the destroyed building. 

"We think it's Shane and Neil," Mr. Hardy replied. "But since Neil had kidnapped you at Inzell, then it has to be Shane. We were lucky when I saw a bomb in the foyer." 

Joe looked shocked. "Why I just saw Shane at Inzell a few minutes ago! I'd thought it was odd when he looked as if he was having the time in his life while his resort is on fire. He told me he had a meeting in New York. What's going on here?" he asked curiously when he noticed their anxious expressions. 

"We'd better get to the boat right away!" Mr. Hardy told them urgently. "We might have a chance to catch Shane." 

All of them didn't talk further as they ran toward the dock, and jumped onto a boat. Lucian was behind the wheel, and started steering the boat toward Inzell. 

"So, what did you find out?" Joe asked immediately when he was seated. 

Frank and Mr. Hardy quickly explained what they had discovered. "We found out Shane Unterhauser's original name," Frank told him. "It's Kevin Shane Bianco." 

"Bianco?" Joe sprang up from his seat in shock. He couldn't help wondering how many shocks he had for today. Then slowly calming down, he said, "I've read somewhere that Kurt Bianco's was divorced before he was arrested. The article mentioned about his wife and children. How come there's no other of Shane's siblings in this, too?" he asked. He wiped the side of his face from the water that was spraying from the side of the boat. 

"Shane's mother died a few months after the divorce, and Shane was still in high school that time. Since no one is going to take care of the children, the three of them were separated during the adoption," Frank explained. "Shane is the eldest one. That's what we get from the adoption agency that Dad had called before the resort blew up." 

"So, I guess the Unterhausers adopted him?" Joe said. 

Frank nodded grimly. "It's easy to check – Unterhauser isn't a common name." 

"But how did Neil find out about this?" Joe asked them. 

"Because when Shane was appointed as the new chairman at Unterhauser Enterprise after the original owner died, it made quite a big headlines a few years ago. So, my guess that Nicholas Stein must have seen the news and recognized Shane immediately. Remember that Stein had been working for Bianco for ages, so he knows everything about the Biancos. And from his résumé, Neil immediately work at Unterhauser Enterprise a few days after Shane was appointed the chairman," Mr. Hardy explained. "Frank found that article. We were quite lucky when it mentioned about Shane being an adopted son of the late Mr. Unterhauser." 

"And we've found out Unterhauser Enterprise has been buying all of the small companies that are residing on Bianco's old properties the past few months. We think Shane's restarting the business his father had unfinished. I don't understand why he's so fond of his real father," Lucian added with a frown. "Here, I even managed to save those résumés and the list of properties before we escaped." He pulled out a few pieces of papers from his jacket and handed it to Joe before turning back to the wheel. 

"I was right all along when I thought you're just like Frank," Joe muttered under his breath as he read the papers. 

Mr. Hardy went on. "Then I guess what happened next was when Shane and Neil met, they started planning their revenge. I should have seen it earlier when I'd thought Shane looked familiar." 

"I guess he must have a lot of his mother's traits. It's a shame that Shane turned this way, he could have a brighter future," Joe commented thoughtfully. "He really did fool us all." 

"He really did," Mr. Hardy agreed. "I guess the sabotaging that he claimed before must have been a bait to lure me to the island in the first place. Then you boys would be left behind at home." 

"Then he must have been planning to send Neil to Bayport to finish us off," Frank ended. "But he did got us either way. Isn't revenge sweet?" He looked grim when he said the last words. 

Joe and Mr. Hardy didn't comment. They knew the inevitability of the situation ahead of them - coming closer and closer each seconds. 

"We're here!" Lucian announced as he steered the boat toward the dock at Inzell Island. As soon as he killed off the engine, the Hardys were already jumping out of the boat. 

"We have to get to the other side of the island," Mr. Hardy said. "Do you know what time the ferry leaves the dock?" 

"Every half an hour," Lucian answered quickly as he glanced at his watch. "It's about to leave five minutes from now!" 

Without wasting time, the four of them left the dock. They were fortunate when they spotted a waiting taxi at the side road. All of them dived into the car, taking the cabdriver by surprise. He reacted as if he was facing a gang of outlaws. 

"Inzell Main Harbor now!" Mr. Hardy ordered. 

The cabdriver didn't need to be told twice. With trembling hands he started his car and pulled out to the main road with screeching tires. During the ride, Lucian called the backups from his cell phone, and ordered them to go to the main dock and searched the place for Neil Sterling and Shane Unterhauser before apprehending them. 

The taxi arrived at the station about five minutes later. Unconsciously, the four of them tossed a wad of bills to the cabdriver before dashing into the building. The cabdriver could only hung his mouth open at his sudden fortune. 

The waiting area was full of crowd. Some was walking to and fro from one side to the other. The others were either standing and talking, or waiting impatiently for the next arrival. Some even gawked at the foursome, who looked as if they were some swamp monsters. 

"We're too late! The ferry has just left," Frank said in disgust, slamming his right fist against the palm of his left hand. His head was starting to pound painfully. 

"Call the cops in Brooklyn. I think I know where they're heading," Mr. Hardy told Lucian. 

Lucian nodded and flipped his cell phone open. He was about to dial when someone came over to them. 

"Jane, what are you doing here?" Joe asked in surprise. She was carrying a backpack behind her. 

"I just came back from New York," she replied. "What about you?" she asked. 

"We're looking for Neil and Shane," Joe said. "Looks like we're too late. The ferry's already moving." 

Jane looked puzzled. "I thought I just saw them here a minute ago," she said. "I might have been wrong then." 

"What did you say?" Frank turned sharply to her. 

Jane repeated what she had said, suddenly looking nervous by their anxious stares. 

"Where did they go?" Lucian asked her, slipping his cell phone into his pocket. 

She quickly pointed to the left side of the building. 

"They're trying to trick us!" Joe exclaimed. "They knew we were coming, and decided to hide here while we would be on our way to New York." 

"Thanks, Jane!" Lucian said gratefully before surprising her with a kiss that left her speechless. "Oh, by the way, don't go back to Verin Island!" he added before leaving. 

The four of them sprinted through the crowd and headed to the exit, on the left side of the room. Joe caught sight of Shane and Neil ahead of them. The two men were just exiting through the door. 

"They went outside!" Joe shouted and ran as fast as he could. He skidded to a halt when he reached the exit door. His left side led to a dock for smaller boats, on his right was the parking lot, and a few feet in front of him was a small boathouse. A couple of men were running toward the boathouse. One of them was carrying a gym bag. The two men stopped in front of the boathouse. Then Shane shoved the gym bag toward Neil before he yanked the door open with his two hands. 

"I'll get Shane," Frank said immediately, when he stood next to Joe. 

Joe nodded, and sprinted to ahead. He dashed after Neil. The two men were startled when they caught sight of the four men. 

That was the moment Joe needed as he hurled himself toward Neil, sending both of them to the ground. They rolled and struggled on the ground. The gym bag dropped next to them, spilling its contents to the concrete ground. Joe's eyes widened when he saw a detonator, and plastic explosives rolling out of the bag. He had a feeling those things were used on the resort. 

Neil shot out his fist toward Joe, right across his face. Joe evaded, but not quick enough. Although the punch grazed slightly against his temple, it almost made him see stars. 

Joe returned by slamming his fist right toward Neil's midsection. The man grunted. As suddenly as it came, Neil whipped out his deadly looking dagger. Joe didn't have time to wonder where Neil had hidden his vintage dagger, when Neil lunged it toward Joe. 

Joe had to use both of his hands to stop Neil's big hand from plunging the dagger into his shoulder. With a snarl, the big man lashed out his leg toward Joe's and pinned him to the ground. Joe gritted his teeth, feeling the air rushing out of his lungs as Neil pressed his large forearm against Joe's neck. The man was suffocating him! 

"No more slow death for you, Hardy!" Neil moved the dagger closer toward Joe's face and started to plunge the dagger toward Joe. 

"Hold it right there, Sterling!" Lucian's sudden interruption caught Neil by surprise. The police detective trained a gun at him. By this time, a few police officers were already in the area, preparing to arrest Neil and Shane anytime. 

It was what Joe needed as he pushed Neil away and flipped him over to the ground. He tried to pin the man down, and at the same time, struggling to get the dagger away from him. Joe threw another punch, and Neil's grip around the dagger loosened by the impact. Joe grabbed the dagger and threw it away, accidentally slicing Neil's forearm. 

Neil's eyes widened when he watched the blood on his arm. For the first time Joe watched his face turned to white horror. 

"You have the blade covered with poison, didn't you?" Joe suddenly realized. He tried to hide his shudder from his close call. He wouldn't want the poison inside him again. 

"Get away from me!" Neil threw Joe off easily almost knocking him into Lucian. 

But Joe landed on the ground while Neil scrambled up to his feet. Lucian tried to seize Neil, but the man was too strong for both of them. The man delivered a swift blow toward Lucian, sending him toppling over Joe. 

Neil took the opportunity to run away from them, back to the boathouse. Joe had a feeling he was doing something. 

"Wait," Joe told Lucian firmly, when he started to approach Neil. Joe grabbed man and tackled the man to the ground. He got Neil pinned down again. 

"No!" Neil shouted as something glinting dropped away from him. His hand frantically tried to reach it as it slowly rolled away from him. 

With swift reflexes, Joe caught it. It was Neil's ring, the one that he had seen near the crime scene, and before he was knocked out. He stood up, and looked down at Neil curiously. 

"Give me that!" Neil demanded angrily, getting up. 

Something clicked in Joe's brain. He knew where he had seen this ring before – the liquid-like thingy beneath the surface of the ring. "Why didn't I think of it before?" Joe smacked his head when he realized what it was. Without saying another word, he left, and sprinted to where Frank was. Lucian quickly caught Neil before the man tried to get Joe. 

Frank was unconscious next to the boathouse when Joe reached him. His father was still struggling with Shane, but from the looks of it, Mr. Hardy had the upper hand. 

"Dad! Get his ring!" Joe shouted as his father finally punched the lights out on Shane's bruised face. 

His father looked at Joe in puzzlement, but he didn't say anything and pulled a ring off Shane's finger. 

"What happened to Frank?" Joe kneeled down beside his brother, as his father reached his side. 

"We've got to get him to the hospital! He suddenly collapsed while he was fighting Shane, and he was clutching at his heart. I think his time…is almost up," Mr. Hardy urged, feeling a lump in his throat. "Here's the ring, I don't know why you want it though." 

"Dad, it's the antidote! I just hope we're not too late though." 

***

"Any news from Dr. Nilson, yet?" Joe Hardy asked his father for the umpteenth time. He kept pacing around the waiting area of the hospital. He had been here for hours. 

"No," Mr. Hardy said wearily. He was sitting down as he rubbed his bandaged arms. 

"Why does it take so long for Frank?" Joe couldn't help asking. 

Mr. Hardy didn't reply. He, too, was worried if it was already too late to save Frank. 

They didn't have time to analyze the antidote as soon as they rushed Frank to the hospital. When they explained the situation to Dr. Nilson, he immediately attended Frank. He couldn't guarantee if the antidote would react immediately to the poison. 

Joe and Neil had been treated with the antidote from Shane's ring, even though Neil refused to admit his knowledge. The doctor had it analyzed immediately after administering it on Frank. He had assured the Hardys the liquid compound neutralized the poison, thus making the poison harmless. But the process took about one to two hours for the poison to become ineffective completely. Joe was relieved when he heard the good news. He would be even happier if the same thing happened to Frank, too. 

A sound from the PA system suddenly blared asking immediate attention to room 26. "Dr. Nilson, please attend. Stat," the announcement ended. 

"Room 26? That's Frank's room!" Joe exclaimed worriedly. "Something's wrong with him!" 


	17. Epilogue

**EPILOGUE**

_Two weeks later…_

"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust…" 

Joe Hardy felt a deep sorrow as he stood, watching the coffin being lowered underground, barely listening to the words that were said. The death was still unreal for him. He did not come to expect was how the person close to him had to die sooner than later. Understanding someone had killed him just because of someone's greed and revenge, still built up a tremendous rage within him. It made him realize how corrupt and unjust the world is. 

Now that there were piles of evidence against Shane and his accomplices, the man still refused to confess, and had demanded a lawyer. The trial had started a week ago, and yesterday, Shane was given the guilty verdict, and would be sentenced for life, much to Joe's relief. He didn't think he would want to face another more of the Biancos, and the likes of him. 

The police had searched for Shane's other siblings. After a little more digging from Chief Peterson, he had found out that Shane was really planning to rebuild back what his father had lost. His two other brothers were also working in Shane's company. One of them was Shane's assistant in Chicago, Norman Spencer. 

It seemed Shane had managed to track down his brothers, and convinced them to work for him. Or forced them, Joe thought, remembering what the chief had reported to them. The youngest of the Bianco brothers was willing to confess everything. He didn't like to work with Shane because some of his so-called business involved drugs and gunrunning. But he didn't have a choice when Shane had threatened to kill him if he told anyone. 

After making careful surveillance on Unterhauser's companies and chains that reside on Bianco's old properties by the authorities, Mr. Hardy had convinced Chief Peterson to get a search warrant from the court. History seemed to repeat itself as the local authorities, DEA, and the ATF organized a surprise raid on Unterhauser's premises. 

And as for Neil Sterling a.k.a. Nicholas Stein, they had found out that he had helped to concoct the poison while he was working in Brazil. He, too, was sentenced for life for all the murders he had committed. 

Dr. Nilson had received a reply from the pharmaceutical company where Neil used to work. They had confirmed that the poison was definitely from their research years ago, and even more good news, they even had the antidote. Now, the NYPD and DEA were trying to locate all the people that had been involved with the Bianco raid ten years ago for diagnostic to see if anyone of their family members were poisoned. 

Now that Shane and his fellow cronies were going to prison, Chief Peterson had finally decided to lay his son to rest in peace. Even though the criminals were put away, Joe knew it wouldn't bring back Sidney. Justice can't bring back the dead, he thought grimly. 

Joe stopped his musings when he noticed the closed friends and families of the Petersons started dispersing and gave the chief and his wife their condolences before leaving. He took one last look at Sidney Peterson's name that was engraved on the tombstone before turning to Frank. 

"Are you okay, Frank?" Joe asked, turning to his brother, who was staring at the freshly buried grave. 

"Yeah, I was just thinking. It could have been me lying down there next to Sidney," Frank replied grimly. 

Both of them grew silent when they recalled the times when Frank was admitted at the hospital. Because Frank was at the final stage of the poisoning, the antidote had caused a violent reaction, and the doctor had almost lost him. It had been a very close all. Joe shuddered inwardly. It was something that he would never forget. He snapped out of his thoughts when a couple approached them. It was Lucian and Jane. 

"Hello, Lucian, Jane." Frank nodded in acknowledgement to the two of them. 

"How are you two doing?" Joe asked, eyeing the couple with a grin. He couldn't help noticing Jane looked calmer and happier than before. I'd guess all those extreme pressure and stress last time made her agitated, he reasoned silently. He had found out Jane had started working as a waitress in Inzell Island ever since Shane was convicted for his crimes. 

"Pretty good," Lucian replied with a smile. "I'm sorry about Sidney Peterson. I've heard he was a good friend of yours." 

"Yeah, we were close like brothers," Joe replied, looking grim. Then he smiled mischievously. "Looks like both of you are turning good friends," he remarked. 

"I know this seems like an awkward time, but we wanted to tell you something," Lucian began with a glance at Jane. 

"Oh? What is it?" Joe asked, noticing Jane, who was blushing slightly. 

"We're getting married next month," Jane announced shyly. "And we would like to invite you to our wedding." She produced an invitation card from her purse, and handed it to the boys. 

"Wow! Congratulations!" Joe exclaimed in surprise as he took the card. 

"Yeah, congrats," Frank said with a smile, shaking hands with Lucian and Jane. He was amazed by the sudden turn of events. At least something good is happening from all this, he thought gratefully. 

"We'll make it for sure. Wait till I tell Vanessa about this," Joe said, referring to his girlfriend, Vanessa Bender. "I think by that time she would be back from her vacation." 

"You're right. I'm bringing Callie, too," Frank agreed with a smile. After he was cured, he had a long talk with Callie, and he vowed to catch up the time they had lost. He realized he had been taking life for granted lately. 

After thanking and saying goodbyes to Jane and Lucian, Joe turned to Frank, "I guess it's time we join Mom and Dad, and Chief Peterson," he said with a serious look. 

"Let's go," Frank said, and both of them headed toward where their parents and the Petersons were standing. He knew it was time to have a serious talk with the Petersons. Other than that, he was glad he had survived from his near-death experience. He had learned the hard way how precious life is.

**THE END.**


End file.
